


L.A. Devotee

by PaddieCake



Series: Cold and Cruel, Self-Absorbed and Narcissistic [4]
Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Anachronistic Technology, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Gen, I promise, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Irresponsible use of Powers, Irresponsible use of money, Klaus is a princess, Non-malicious use of powers agaisnt siblings, Powers used for mundane nonsense, Semi-Reliable Narrator, Water polo is not played on seahorses, but he has telekinesis instead of birds, but only Ben seems to care, but only because Klaus ruined her dress, inevitable references to horror movies, no S2 spoilers, no beta we die like ben, no matter how much we want that, semi-malicious use of acting clout, you're safe here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-25
Updated: 2020-09-08
Packaged: 2021-03-05 04:54:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 30
Words: 38,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25478746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PaddieCake/pseuds/PaddieCake
Summary: Allison and Klaus have settled into their life. As they navigate through the world of fame they do their best to hold on to the one constant in their lives, eachother.
Relationships: Allison Hargreeves & Klaus Hargreeves, Allison Hargreeves/Patrick, Ben Hargreeves & Klaus Hargreeves, Klaus Hargreeves & Patrick
Series: Cold and Cruel, Self-Absorbed and Narcissistic [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1797274
Comments: 386
Kudos: 320





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Yey, part uh... four! Of this series, exciting. This is the fun part. I mean all of it is fun, but also this is the part where I had the most pre-outlined. And I'm excited to write it, and I hope you all enjoy it <3
> 
> (Allison's movie is fake, I may just have all the movies either Hargreeves work on be fake because it's just easier, we'll see what happens x3)
> 
> This chapter takes place later in 2011, so Klaus is basically working on his first movie as his own company/effects team. 
> 
> I'll include the year it takes place in the notes whenever I mention a time skip.
> 
> Also additional tags will be added as the story progresses!

# Chapter 1

Allison was unsurprised to see a camera levitating in a lazy circle around Klaus when she headed upstairs to Klaus' half of the apartment and walked into his studio. She wasn't, either, surprised by the clay or the paint or the brushes that floated lazily around him as he focused on his sculpture. 

What _was_ surprising was that Klaus was actually _sitting_ on a chair, rather than hovering inches off it like he usually did. 

He didn't seem to realize she was there so she gently knocked on the door frame. He startled a bit, catching everything just before they could clatter to the ground. 

"Christ on a cracker!" He said, pressing a hand to his chest as he slowly eased all of his supplies down, fiddling with the camera to shut it off.

She was clutching a script tightly. She had an audition, and she knew she could nail it, but she really wanted someone to feed lines to her.

"What're you working on?" She asked, eyeing the little clay statue he was just carefully attaching a small, flat piece of clay to. 

How he managed to make what amounted to a half a circle look like a fin, she'd never get, though she was impressed. The… thing was equal parts humanoid and incomprehensibly _other,_ a mixture of animals, fish maybe? 

  
  


"Eh, the comments were talking about Lovecraft, so… I _was_ going to do something on Screaming Mad George, maybe just talk about _Society_ , but now I'm making this dude."

Allison blinked. "The bug guy?" She remembered Klaus watching a couple of movies featuring the man's work. She was _not_ a fan, but she could at least appreciate the work that went into it all.

Klaus let out an amused snort. "Aww, you do pay attention!" Klaus said, beaming at her.

Allison smiled softly, carefully sitting on the edge of the desk. "Of course. It's the only way I can get you to help me practice with my scripts…" she said, waving it gently.

Klaus paused, looking up at her through his eyelashes. He had dark rings forming under them, she realized. She didn't know if it was unwashed makeup or the crazy hours he'd been working, probably both, knowing him.

She gave him the most angelic smile she could muster.

He blinked.

She blinked.

"I do that because I love you, not because you remember names of special effects artists I mention." Klaus said, motioning for the script, and then letting it hover in front of him. 

"Thank you! Can you read for Carlson?" She asked, chewing on her lip. 

Klaus gave her a thumbs up, as he absently flipped through the pages until she told him to stop. "Start from here, thank you!" She said kissing Klaus' cheek.

It was a period drama, and while Allison's agent had said it might not be quite right for her given her past roles, Allison didn't care, she just knew that the script was good enough to win her an Oscar, and that's what she was going for. 

So they worked together, Klaus reading lines, and correcting her when she messed up, and him working on his clay figure. 

She had her audition scene down by the time Klaus put his little monster guy in the oven to bake. 

The next morning she got up early, and dressed to match her character as best she could. Klaus did her makeup for her in a surprisingly well done rush job, and basically spent the entire morning encouraging her before he literally and figuratively flew out the door.

She was excited and jittery. The way she always felt before an audition. There was a small line of other women who wanted to audition, and Allison knew they had auditioned some big names, though Rachel couldn't say which names they were.

She took a deep breath, trying to mimic what Klaus did when he was feeling anxious. 

She wasn't sure if she was doing it right, but she felt better.

She was the last to audition.

But she knew she was flawless both in recitement and acting.

"Well, that was fantastic. We really think you might be better suited to another role, though. Would you mind reading for-"

Allison frowned a bit, ignoring the great of what he was saying. "Really? Because I heard a rumor I was perfect for _this_ role." She said casually, letting her powers wash over the directors. 

"Yes, of course. We can't wait to work with you!" The director said excitedly. 

Allison beamed, turning on her heel. She stilled at the door.

Well, she could give Klaus some more work while she was here… It would be the first time they worked together with him as his own boss, after all.

Allison drove home feeling very proud of herself.

Klaus was working, she knew he wouldn't be home any time soon, so she had the place to herself. 

Absently she scrolled through her emails. She had one from Vanya, just a sentence, saying hello and asking how she was. 

Allison was hesitant to respond, but she did, telling her about her audition. Even the part where they had wanted her to read for someone else despite how well she had done. 

Allison had to admit she was bragging a bit, but she was excited!

Afterwards she checked Klaus' YouTube channel and watched his newest video. She clicked the little like button, and left a smiley face comment.

Vanya responded with a 'congratulations', and Allison couldn't respond to that so she didn't.

Then Allison settled down with a bowl of leftover macaroni, watching a few older episodes of _Degrassi_ , and going over her script. 

Klaus finally came home. He paused, staring at the screen, but when he recognized the episode he relaxed. "I'm watching you." He said, making a two fingered motion between his eyes and her direction.

Allison snorted.

"I'm shaking in my boots."

Klaus stared at her. "Ben is also watching you."

Allison rolled her eyes. "I'm not breaking the sacred rules of television! Go shower I want to tell you how it went." She said, keeping her emotions in check so she didn't give anything away.

"No food, then?" He asked, motioning towards a couple of bags floating lazily behind him.

"Oh! Yes, we'll talk over food." she said, snatching the bags out of the air as Klaus summoned plates and utensils. 

They didn't keep much alcohol in the house anymore, and it wasn't a 'celebrate with champagne' kind of day so they broke out some sparkling flavored water.

"Ok, so I _may_ have also got you a job on the film as well." Allison said excitedly. "Or your team, anyway."

Klaus stilled, glancing to Ben, before looking at Allison. "Uh…"

"We're not filming for a few more months."

Klaus visibly relaxed "Thank Christ. I thought you were trying to kill me for a second. I'm not even going to be home tomorrow." He said laughing. 

"I wouldn't do that to you, don't worry." Allison said, smirking at him.

Klaus sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Good, because I'm… pretty sure I'm only awake because of the fifteen coffees I had." Klaus said with a loud, long, yawn. 

"Go wash up and go to bed, you're making me tired."

Klaus waved her _Goodbye_ , and stalked off to his bathroom.

"I heard a rumor the dishes were clean and put away." She said, leaving the kitchen.

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Society is a real film, I really like it, but if you do not like horror/body horror movies, or are easily grossed out I would **not** reccomend watching it. 
> 
> There's lot of goopy body horror. 
> 
> Really goopy.
> 
> But if you're at all curious, I highly reccomend the Dead Meat Kill Count on Society episod on YouTube. It's still pretty graphic though, but it's safer than the actual film. I think. It's a weird film. I don't want to reccomend it blindly so if you ARE curious but don't generally like. Dead Meat 👌 I think it's fun at any rate xD.
> 
> That channel semi-inspired Klaus' hobby, though the only thing they have in common is being horror related *shrugs*


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Klaus works hard and meets a cute boy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to have him be a makeup artist also, but then this happened.
> 
> Just don't want him to be an actor, that seems cliché x3.

Klaus held his position waiting for the cue before pulling on the invisible, really non-existent, tether attached to the table and chairs. 

And as soon as he heard the right sound cue he levitated the furniture up. He could feel the sweat on his brow, and sweat going down his back. Klaus was pretty sure this was the millionth time they've done this take, and while they could have used a pulley system, or even CG, this was easier.

Somehow.

Also Klaus just _really_ liked these powers. 

"Cut!" The director yelled.

The furniture fell to the ground, and Klaus doubled over trying to catch his breath.

"That was perfect!"

"Go drink some water, Klaus." Ben said, hand reaching out to Klaus.

He shivered at the sudden icy cold sensation he got whenever a ghost was too close, or tried touching him. He did nod in agreement, heading over to the crafts table. He pulled a cold bottle of water out of the nearby cooler and ran it across his forehead before downing half of it in one shot. 

"Hey, Klaus, right? Carlie said you were the one who did her makeup when I asked, and you're like… in charge of the scene right now? It's fantastic so far." A voice said, startling Klaus. 

He may not be terrified of ghosts like he used to be, but he still hated people coming up from behind him. 

Klaus was pretty sure that was more an Academy thing, though.

"Thanks." Klaus said, once he swallowed the mouthful of water. He eyed the person who spoke. "I haven't seen you around here? Are you an extra or..."

"Post production."

Klaus nodded "And you know Carlie, how?"

The man smiled, and Klaus smiled back "I knew Carlie back at school. But I was here for a meeting, but I remember some of the work you did on _Zombies Live_ , and your name has been floating around a lot (Klaus let out a snort) so when I heard your name I came to say hi."

"Oh, Allison's movie." Ben pointed out. "Well both your movies, I concede you did a good job on it for an idiot."

Klaus smiled at the man, once again ignoring Ben.

"Don't flirt with him, you're a mess right now." Ben said, but Klaus steadfastly ignored him.

He was attractive, and Klaus was single! And also attractive. There was no harm. 

"I mean, the make up in that _really_ looks… disgusting. And Carlie? Phenomenal job, really. And honestly the work you're doing behind the scenes. It's one of the smoothest productions I've seen."

Klaus gave him a smile. High praise for this being his first project. He'd have to let his staff know.

"Well I always appreciate a fan." He said as nonchalantly as he could muster while still trying to catch his breath, and casually leaned against the table. 

Or he tried to. 

He ended up falling, unable to catch himself with his hands _or_ powers.

Klaus could only hear Ben laughing hysterically.

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah, thanks. I'm exhausted, can barely stand up." Klaus said, not wanting to let go of the hand holding his. "I didn't catch your name?" He asked, standing up, maybe a bit too close, but Klaus was not a subtle man. 

"Patrick. For the record I find your tattoos very appropriate." 

Klaus glanced down to his very visible tattoos. "Yeah, it's... Well _actually_ I'm the ouija board they use to get this whole thing started." And when Patrick laughed his heart swelled.

"You should be getting paid extra, then. Anyway, I have to go, I'll see you around." Patrick said, waving to Klaus. 

"Uh, hey wait, maybe we could hang out when filming wraps up and we both have time?" Klaus said, taking a step towards Patrick.

He looked a bit surprised but shrugged "Yeah, sure." He said, handing him a business card.

Klaus beamed, and gave him one of his own, because he had business cards now.

The next couple of weeks went by surprisingly quick, and not just because he actually had something to look forward to.

"I thought you liked your work." Allisom said at that comment.

Klaus nodded "I do, but I'm exhausted. I mean it's worth it. For a possession movie I think it's pretty good, but tired."

"Poor baby."

"Come on, that makeup takes hours, and we lumped filming the scenes together with the right makeup to make it smoother, but still. Tired."

You know it isn't easier for the actress, right Klaus?"

Klaus _did_ know that, thanks. Except also the actors and actresses could sleep while he applied makeup and he could not.

And then, finally, filming ended. He and Patrick scheduled a time to hang out, and Klaus moved on to making some more videos for his YouTube channel.

"Hello and welcome little batties, this is where I, your humble host, discuss The Art of Horror." Klaus said into his microphone. 

It wasn't a long video, and he mostly just updated whatever following he had about his busy work schedule. He showed off some of the work he'd been doing on and off, and gave them a tour of his sketchbook.

While a few people were adamant he discuss the Academy, and his siblings, Klaus mostly just ignored them, blocking and hiding any related comments, and getting on with it.

Klaus was very particular about only mentioning Allison, and never even by name even though everyone knew. Maybe it was selfish, or maybe not, but he didn't like bringing it up and it weakened the tenuous grasp he had on his own mental health. Sure, maybe his siblings watched and they were pissed off he didn't talk about them, but also it was no one's business.

Fuck them all, he said. 

Klaus, by the end of the next month, had finally gained a better sense of self and his tenuous grasp became much stronger. He'd relaxed, de-stressed, went to a few group therapy sessions, and was very glad to see familiar faces. And finally was able to just function normally again.

"So guess who I just got off the phone with."

"Uh... Cat?" Klaus suggested, opening his eyes "Another one of your friends? A famous person?"

He'd been meditating before he got ready for his date.

Well he'd been falling asleep sitting up. But it was close enough.

"Yes, actually, Keira Knightley..." Allison said slightly stunned. 

Klaus stared at her for a second "Seriously?"

"I was looking through the director's things and I got her phone number." Allison admitted.

"I'm concerned, _but,_ I get to work on an actual famous famous person?" Klaus said, feeling himself smiling brightly.

"I'm famous famous." Allison pointed out. "Anyway, I _also_ answered the phone to that Patrick guy? He says he can't make it today, but then I told him he could tag along on our lunch date this weekend so I'm kind of crashing your date, sorry. We got to talking and he's really sweet." She said very quickly.

Klaus stared at her. "Seriously? Fine but the next time you have a date planned I'm going to be so obnoxious."

"So you're going to act as usual." Allison and Ben said in unison.

Klaus was appalled and amazed "How do you do that? You can't even see each other."

"It's a gift." They both again, giving Klaus the exact same smirk, somehow.

"You guys are creepy as fuck." Klaus said, getting up and leaving the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Klaus has a crush, he's only human.  
> \--
> 
> Zombie Alive isn't real as far as I know (I mean it PROBABLY is a real movie title, but it was unintentional)  
> \--
> 
> Seriously, you can watch The Exorcist, uh... and maybe one or two other posession movies and you've basically seen them all. X3.  
> \--
> 
> I just like Keira Knightley's name, and also I caught it while I was scrolling through Netflix, there's no significance there.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Allison also has a crush.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, I'm doing some relationship drama, this will be fun :3.

So, Allison had a problem. She was pretty sure Patrick was uninterested in Klaus romantically or sexually. 

And Allison was pretty sure Patrick liked her. 

She only suspected this because he seemed completely uninterested in Klaus', quite frankly unsubtle, flirting while the three of them were hanging out. And at one point, while Klaus was in the bathroom, Patrick admitted that he knew Klaus was _her_ brother specifically and had been excited to meet her.

So she was _pretty_ sure.

Allison was panicking. 

Because she kind of liked Patrick back and she felt terrible for even thinking it.

She paced back and forth trying to to think. She kept running her hands through her hair. Then she _stopped_ that because she was making her hair frizzy. She rummaged through their mediocre liquor cabinet and pulled out the one bottle of scotch they had and poured herself a glass. 

She downed it in one go and then immediately regretted it. "Shit, how did Klaus do that?" She hissed, coughing at the sting in the back of her throat. 

"I drank a _lot_." Klaus said, and Allison wanted to scream. Why wasn't he busy? "Why are we drinking, I thought we only did that for special occasions and New Year's now." Klaus said.

"I'm drinking, we're not drinking." Allison said, keeping the bottle away from Klaus, noting the way his eyes tracked it. "Are you ok?" She asked, instead focusing on Klaus instead of her crisis.

Which potentially affected Klaus.

She should just decline Patrick if he asked her out.

"Huh? Oh, uh… I've been worse." 

Which wasn't _good_.

Huh, maybe she could just rumor Patrick into liking Klaus.

Or rumor Klaus into _not_ liking Patrick? 

"... Academy and I don't _want_ to, and I can't stop them from making new profiles."

Allison tried to focus on what Klaus said. Someone kept bugging him about the Umbrella Academy? 

Allison gave Klaus a sympathetic smile "If my powers worked through text I'd help you out. I know, I hate when people only recognize me for that superhero bullshit too." Allison said.

Klaus sighed dramatically, placing his head on her shoulder. "Yeah, I guess I'll just keep ignoring them. I mean honestly, the others keep doing all the freaking out for me. Defending my honor and what not."

"What honor?" Allison said with a smirk. The look on Klaus' face when he looked up told her Ben said the same thing. She had _no_ idea why they were so in sync, but she could only suspect it was natural being around Klaus so long. 

Klaus went to say something undeniably snarky but stopped himself. Instead he said "Eh, that's fair." Then he wandered off.

Allison let out a sigh.

In the end she removed the problem entirely by dating someone else. 

Easy solutions. 

Two weeks go by and Patrick calls. 

"Patrick is coming over!" Klaus said excitedly, having just gotten off the phone. "I'm probably just going to ask him out properly, yeah? Stupid not to do that. But he isn't 

Allison felt her heart sink. She'd been getting on fine with Daniel, but whenever Klaus had Patrick over she couldn't help but want him herself. She wanted to tell Klaus he didn't stand a chance. She probably should. 

Probably not like that, though. She had to be nice.

Gentle. 

Honest.

"Yeah, I don't know why you didn't just ask him outright. You've always done that." Allison said, smiling at him. 

Or maybe not at all 

Klaus shrugged "It didn't feel right? I mean it hasn't ever worked out in the past, yeah?"

"What if he says no?" She asked gently.

"Then my life is over." Klaus said so seriously Allison genuinely couldn't tell if he was joking. "Or I'll just be kind of bummed for awhile. We'll see, that's the fun of life!" Klaus said. He turned to Ben, nodding "See, Ben said he'll make sure I don't go cuckoo bananas." Klaus said brightly. "Would he say no?" He added, frowning a bit. 

Allison frowned. "Why would he?"

She should tell him. But it was probably better to find out from the horse's mouth, so to speak.

Klaus gestured vaguely but otherwise didn't say anything. 

Allison didn't get it. "Elaborate?" She said, raising an eyebrow.

Klaus blinked at her, glancing over to Ben, and then back to Allison. "Uh…" he looked down at himself, then back up at Allison. 

"There's nothing wrong with you." Allison said. 

_Her_ on the other hand.

She should tell him she liked Patrick.

Klaus gave her a look. 

"Well there's a lot wrong with you, but nothing that would stop you from having a good relationship." She said. "Just things that annoy your sister."

  
  


Klaus seemed to relax a bit at that.

It felt all too quick when they heard a knocking at the door. Klaus raced to answer it.

Allison chewed on her lip anxiously. They seemed to be taking an incredibly long time to come back inside.

Nothing seemed off when they came back, Klaus following behind Patrick, who was carrying some food with him. 

Allison tried to catch Klaus' eye as Patrick headed for their kitchen.

"He said yes." Klaus whispered grinning at her. 

Allison's eyes widened. "What?" No, wait, no, she was supposed to be happy for him. This was good! Sort of.

They trailed behind, so Klaus could tell her what happened.

"He said 'I like hanging out with you, so I'm willing to give it a shot.' Which… I mean, I'll take it." Klaus whispered.

"That's great, Klaus. Really." She said "I hope it works out." 

Klaus nudged her and then practically skipped over to help Patrick set their lunch up, notably _not_ using his powers.

Well Patrick probably didn't know about the powers, or didn't ask.

Allison's head hurt, and she wished she could talk to Ben without Klaus' interference. 

"Oh, duh." Allison murmured, remembering she had a bunch of new friends she could talk to. 

The three of them had a nice time eating lunch and watching movies.

Well nice in that Allison didn't metaphorically spill her guts everywhere. They all gathered to read through some of Allison's script, as well, which was fun. 

It didn't help that Patrick kept looking at her. Or maybe she was looking at him and he just looked back? 

She had no idea.

By the time Patrick left, Allison was exhausted. But she called up Victoria, who was the one most willing to help her through problems, and explained the situation to her. 

"Look, with all due respect, Klaus is weird as hell. It's not going to last, this Patrick guy seems way too normal. Let it ride out and then ask him out after." She said. "But like… give it _some_ time _._ You don't want him to think you sabotaged the whole thing. Which _is_ an option."

"No, I don't want him to get hurt. I just... feel bad for liking the same guy. I mean that happened _sometimes_ , but usually it was a guy we were never going to see again." Allison muttered, recalling more than one dinner party they were forced to go to, wherein she and Klaus found themselves rather smitten with a cute boy or two. 

Allison prided herself on being more successful in getting a kiss, or a phone number, until she found out Klaus actually ended up _dating_ one of their conquests for a solid week before Allison found out, and another week after before they broke up. 

Then Klaus had admitted after the fact the guy was just willing to supply him with weed, and Allison didn't feel so jealous. 

She kind of felt bad about it now.

But either way this was different. 

"Hey, you there? I don't condone sabotage but if you want me to…"

"No, thanks though, Victoria. Just let it happen right?"

"And when they break up, wait until it's not fresh and make your move. Don't stress too much. Your brother goes through people like fucking underwear or something." She said.

Allison sighed. "He just has bad luck."

"Call it whatever you want, babe. I'm gonna go. Good luck with Patrick, yeah?" 

"Yeah, thanks." Allison said. Not feeling much better when she hung up the phone.

She just had to give it time, let things take their course. She had Daniel anyway, and she didn't love Patrick or anything, she just liked him and wanted to date him. 

No big deal. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The date ends unsurprisingly poorly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Patrick is a bit of a dink, and Klaus is a princess.

Klaus was… not enjoying this date at all, actually. Their food had just come, they'd been together for a whopping twenty minutes, and Klaus was pretty frustrated.

He was wearing a button up with lace sleeves, his makeup was on point, and he even borrowed (stole) some of Allison's jewelry to complete the look. He looked _amazing_ , Patrick looked nice, they normally got along fine, but right now?

This was shit.

Patrick was distracted, didn't even compliment him, which was rude, and any time Klaus tried to start a conversation it didn't happen. Asked about work? "It's fine." Tried to tell him about something he was working on? "That's cool." 

Klaus glanced over his shoulder but Ben wasn't there. He didn't _usually_ come with him on dates, or _rendezvous,_ but this time he really wished he had. 

"Uhm… why don't we go see a movie after this?" Klaus suggested, trying to wheedle _something_ out of him.

Patrick looked startled, and maybe confused. Or constipated.

Maybe he didn't feel well?

"Oh, uhm… sure?"

Klaus sighed, fiddling with his rootbeer, wishing it was actual beer.

Or coke.

_Shit_ , that wasn't good. 

He hadn't been craving much, unless the ghosts got really bad. And the ghosts nearby were barely different from the living they worked with. Klaus didn't know if the date was really going this terribly or if he was bothered by something else, and this was the metaphorical straw that broke the hypothetical camel's back.

Or something like that.

"What kind of movie?"

Patrick shrugged, poking at his food. 

Klaus scratched absently at his arm. 

"Great, well I think there's this _great_ X-rated theater downtown." 

"Sounds good." 

Seriously?

Klaus huffed, pulling out a packet of cigarettes and lit one. "That theater closed down five months ago." Klaus muttered.

"That's fine…"

Klaus' chest tightened, and instead he spent the rest of the meal in suffocating silence. 

"If you didn't want to do this you could have said so." Klaus said by the time they were both done with their food. The words had been bubbling in his mind the entire meal. It was frustrating, trying to keep something going when it was obvious it wasn't going anywhere. They weren't even a couple and they already had these problems, that did _not_ bode well for any potential romance. 

Patrick looked up, startled. "No, no, of course I wanted to do this."

Klaus raised an eyebrow and stubbed the butt of his cigarette out. "Uh-huh." 

Patrick squirmed a bit, avoiding looking at Klaus. "I do like you…"

" _But_ …"

"But not the same way you seem to like me. I was trying to be nice, and it… I messed up." Patrick said.

Klaus sat back, picking at his sleeves. "This is _nice_?" Klaus muttered. Because it felt like he was being placated by someone who wanted nothing to do with him. "But like, we get along normally?"

That's what was bothering him most. Patrick was normally so nice, and now he was being quiet and weird?

Patrick looked down at the table sighing. "I don't know, I'm really sorry." 

Klaus wrapped his arms around himself. This was _fine,_ it was totally normal to try and date someone and it not click. "You could have just _said._ You know that, right?" He said softly, scratching the table with his fingernail.

"Yeah, I realize that now. It's just a weird situation. I'm sorry."

Klaus sighed, getting up. He pulled his wallet out of his pocket and took out enough money to cover his half of the meal. 

"I'll pay, it's only fair." 

"Nah, it's cool. I'm not sure what about the situation is weird, other than the… you know… _you_." 

"I deserve that. Let me drive you home, at least." Patrick said getting up to follow Klaus, gently taking him by the elbow.

"Why? So we can sit in more silence? Christ, you could have just acted _normal_. You know that, right?"

"I screwed up, I'm sorry." His face was pinched in a way that screamed he felt bad.

Klaus sighed, tapping his fingers against his thigh. "Yeah, fine."

Allison and Ben would be _pissed_ if he went off to find a drug dealer. Definitely not the time to be in his own. 

The drive home was just as frustrating and awkward as the date. 

Ben lounged on the couch looking at Klaus. "What happened?"

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing." Klaus said, starting to remove his clothes. The jewelry he'd borrowed floated to Allison's room and his clothes made themselves at home on the floor of his room.

"Klau-shit, Jesus, what the fuck? Hey, Klaus?" 

Allison peaked into Klaus' room as makeup remover cleaned his face, while he struggled into pajama bottoms. 

When Klaus looked up she was trying to detangle a necklace from her hair. Klaus padded over to help. "Sorry, I thought you'd see them." Klaus said, trying to help her out.

"It's fine. What happened?"

"It was shit, he like… I'm so sorry, Ally. Anyway, he just _completely_ freezes up? Like he doesn't say shit all night. Like it was so awkward? We talk and hang out _all the time_ but all of a sudden it's a problem?"

"Did you give him time to respond? Sometimes you talk a lot." Ben said.

Klaus looked at him, feeling utterly scandalized. 

"Did… he say why?"

Klaus shook his head, cheering excitedly when he successfully removed the necklace. "We barely lost anything!" He said excitedly, letting Allison pluck out what hair managed to get stuck in the metal. 

"I'm sorry… Did you walk home, or?"

"I… no, I was getting itchy, so it was safer to just have someone take me home." He said, swatting at the makeup removal pad as it attacked his neck. 

Allison reached out, taking Klaus' hand "You ok? Do you… need anything?"

"The part of me that wants drugs says I need drugs, but the logical part of me says drinking would suffice."

Allison was _not_ amused by his joke. 

"I'm going to the next meeting." He added.

"But he uh, didn't say anything else?"

"He didn't say anything _period_ . Dad's fucking _records_ were more interesting."

Ben frowned a bit "I liked those records."

And Klaus never felt more unrelated to Ben than he did in that moment. "Ben just said he liked the records. He's _your_ ghost now."

Allison stared "How did you like those?"

"They were just comforting. I miss them."

"He says they were comforting, like a blanket. How sweet." 

Allison snorted. Then the phone ring and she left to go answer it while Klaus finished getting into more comfortable clothes.

"Who is it?" Klaus asked, coming downstairs. 

Allison's cheeks flushed slightly "Daniel." She said before hanging up. 

"Well at least one of us gets a cute boyfriend." 

He stretched out, popping his back a bit before laying down on the floor.

Allison sat down beside him, and he rested his head in her lap. "Are you... still going to be friends, or?"

Klaus sighed "I don't know, probably. Maybe my cravings are making me more irritable?"

"I'm sure it wasn't you." She said gently. "I'm sorry it didn't work out." Allison said, playing with his hair. "At least you looked cute?"

"I always look cute." Klaus said, pouting, but he felt a bit better. "Maybe I just won't date anymore."

"You've said that before."

"Well past me was right."

"Uh-huh, until you see someone you think is cute and then you'll be at it again."

Klaus reached up to poke her cheek. "Think you're so smart, huh?"

"You're the dumbest Hargreeves in this house." Allison said.

"Uh, based on grades from when we were like ten. I'm actually the smartest Hargreeves in this house." 

"No way you got better grades than me."

"I got better grades than _Ben_." Klaus said, feeling very proud of himself. "But then I realized it was pointless so I stopped caring. Also alcohol and drugs made me _really_ not care."

"That tracks." Allison and Ben said at the same time.

Klaus groaned loudly, covering his face with one hand, reaching for the remote to put the television on. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm assuming pre-rehab Klaus stumbled upon the movie theater when scoring drugs. Or maybe a ghost told him. It's just something he knows.  
> \--
> 
> Klaus being good at Reggie's idea of book learning but then no longer caring, and failing on purpose? Yes.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Boy problems, amirite?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A. This took longer than I intended it to, so this means that next chapter will also probably be late ;-;.
> 
> B. I didn't necessarily mean for it to go this way specifically, but I don't hate it.
> 
> C. Patrick is still kind of a dink. I don't even dislike canon!Patrick, so I don't know why I'm making him like this x3.

Allison sat patiently as one of Klaus' employee's did her makeup. She was kind of glad Klaus was busy helping put up the set for their first scene. She was having trouble being in the same room as him.

She had been talking to Patrick pretty frequently. 

Since the night of his and Klaus' date almost two months ago.

So much so that she actually had to use the car or a payphone so Klaus could actually upload videos and respond to work emails. She had told him the calls were work related, or from Daniel whom she broke up with ages ago.

She was a horrible person. 

They weren't dating, and she _was_ annoyed that he had led Klaus on. But she also _really_ wanted to date him. 

It was torture given how clear it was Patrick was just as interested in her as she was with him.

Especially since Klaus and Patrick had made up.

Allison took a deep breath, and eyed herself in the mirror. She looked tired, and worried just from the makeup.

The scene was an emotional one. The film took place during World War II, she was supposed to be finding out that her fiancé died in battle.

"You did amazing." She told the artist, who practically glowed at the praise. 

"Oh, thank you! I'm still so new at doing this professionally, and you're _amazing_ , so I was _really_ nervous when Mr. K told me that I'd be doing your makeup. He did that work on _Zombies_ , and I mean I knew even from before then, because I followed his YouTube channel, right? And like, I'd only been doing this for a little while. I was surprised I even got hired…"

Allison really needed her to stop talking. She smiled at her "Well you're really good." She assured, walking to set.

She took a few deep breaths to get into character before getting to her spot on set.

When they both finally got home Allison headed straight to the telephone to intercept the message Patrick inevitably left for her. 

_"Hey I know things are still weird, but I have these concert tickets, and I really want to go with you, call me back."_

Allison watched as Klaus floated up to his room before calling him back. 

"Oh, you're back earlier than I expected."

"I'd _love_ to go with you." Allison said.

There was silence on the other end for a moment "Really?"

"Yeah, I just… I'm not ready to tell Klaus yet, but I can't stand the thought of not being with you." Allison said.

"Me either." Patrick agreed.

The concert was amazing, and dating Patrick was wonderful, even if they had to hide it when Klaus was around.

Unfortunately their secret love affair didn't stay secret very long.

"What the fuck?"

In hindsight, they should not have been making out on the couch, but Allison also thought Klaus was going to be gone all day working on the battle scenes for the movie.

Allison and Patrick pulled away from each other so quickly, she was pretty sure she sprained something.

"Shit." Allison muttered. 

"What the _fuck_?" 

"Klaus-"

Allison glanced at Patrick as Klaus stalked off to his room. "I'll be right back." She said, squeezing his hand.

Klaus sitting in his bathroom filling up his tub with what looked like boiling water.

"Klaus, look. I was going to tell-"

"Tell me what? _When_?" He asked, looking up at her. "How long have you two been… What was him going on that date with me a fucking joke or something?"

Allison shook her head. "No, no. Look Patrick said he wanted to get to know me, but he really didn't mean anything by going out with you."

Klaus' face did a weird thing where she couldn't tell if he was more sad or angry, and it mostly just looked like disgust. "Wait, _what?_ So… He didn't even… Oh fuck him and fuck you!" He was practically snarling. "What, what so it's _cute_ to make me think he liked me even a little? As a fucking _friend_ just to use me to get to you? How are you ok with this?"

"Of course not, it just happened, Klaus. You need to calm down." 

"I need to know why my fucking sister thinks it's ok to date the asshole that used me so he could talk to you, that's _creepy_. Remember when we agreed to let each other know if we thought we were dating an asshole? He's an asshole."

"It's not like that Klaus, you're seeing things that aren't there. It wasn't that he was using you. He _is_ your friend, he just also realized you were my brother."

"And instead of saying 'Hey, you're Allison's brother, could you introduce us' he pretended to be my friend." 

"Would you even have agreed to it?"

The look on Klaus' face made it clear he wouldn't have. 

"Because that's also weird. Besides, just because he wanted to get to know me, doesn't mean he was using you. It just… happened." 

"Ok, so why not come to me and say 'Hey, Klaus, greatest human being in my life. I like Patrick.' How about that?"

"Ok, tell me how that would have went down."

Klaus shrugged, raising his arms and letting them fall to his lap. "I don't know we would have talked or fought, because I'm a bitch, but it would have been resolved." He said. "I wouldn't be this pissed off. _This_? This hurts, because I don't even know if you didn't manipulate the situation like th-"

"I wouldn't! You _know_ I wouldn't do that to you." She said, jabbing a finger into his chest. "How could you _think_ that?"

"Oh, I don't know, because you get pissy when you can't get something you want?"

"Oh don't even play that with me, I wouldn't hurt you like that because of a fucking _guy_ , Klaus."

He gestured broadly in the very vague direction of where she had left Patrick, before scratching an itch on his arm.

"Bullshit, you don't even _like_ him anymore! You probably already moved on to someone else anyway."

"Talking to dear old Victoria again-"

"She's my friend, and you have to admit you do have trouble holding on to relationships."

Allison regretted it as soon as she said it.

The open hurt on Klaus' face was hard to look at. 

"Klaus…"

"Yeah, guess so. I mean even if Patrick _did_ like me it wouldn't have worked out, right? It's fine… whatever. I'm done." Klaus said, shutting the water off and fiddling with some of the bubble bath he'd put in. 

"No, Klaus I didn't mean to… I'm sorry, really. It… I _really_ like him, a lot, and I didn't want to upset you."

Klaus snorted, though since he was looking over his shoulder she was sure it was Ben. 

"I just… You're right, ok? I _don't_ do well with relationships, any kind, unless there's money, or something else involved no one wants to spend any length of time with me-"

"That's not true, your employees _love_ you."

Klaus stared at her "Because I pay them. But as soon as I spend any length of time with someone new it turns to shit, so. You and Ben are all I have, and if being with Patrick is what you need or want, then it's fine. I just… wish you hadn't lied to me about it."

"I can break it off-"

"No, no look. I was upset, yeah? It's fine. Really, it. I won't bring it up again. Just..m give me a little time before you start making out on living room furniture. _Please_?" He said.

Allison gave him a weak smile and pulled him into a hug. 


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Klaus is tired.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This spans a couple of months, so combined with last chapter we're probably in early 2012-ish.

Klaus was fine, perfectly totally fine. He _didn't_ like Patrick anymore, that much was true, but he was still hurt.

And then he didn't have time to be hurt. He barely had time to _breathe_.

He'd had five shots of espresso, and was running on two hours of sleep in as many days, and he was _seriously_ considering taking Vincent, one of the actors, up on his offer to share his coke, and literally the only thing stopping him was that he wasn't all that good at his job when he was high as fuck. 

Or was he better? 

Well he wouldn't _know_ and right now Klaus needed to.

But he was already having trouble sleeping, so it would help him stay awake... 

Honestly he didn't really have time to _think_ about Patrick and Allison because he was thinking about drugs, and getting his employees set up, and trying to make realistic severed limbs which he didn't have a reference for. Because, _apparently_ , there weren't a whole lot of missing limbs ghosting around, surprisingly.

Between working on this huge budget war drama, and getting his next project lined up, and his videos, and the sudden increase of terrifying ghosts everywhere, he was _far_ too occupied to deal with the niggling disappointment at the entire situation. 

He hired a fucking _assistant_ just so he could get through his appointments with directors and producers, and talking to the companies he got supplies from while he helped with this huge ass battle scene.

She was lovely, and he would die without her.

There was so much fake mud and dust and blood.

The people who watched his videos seemed to be perfectly fine with his current subject matter, although a few did want more sculpture and makeup videos. At the moment he was basically just talking about movies. 

Anyone who even thought about the Umbrrlla Academy had an onslaught of vitriol from the comments.

Klaus was just too tired to bother with much of anything else.

Hence the espresso.

And the coke cravings.

And then, by the end of the fourth day, he caved. He nursed a bottle of vodka and laid in bed until he was too sluggish and tired to move, and he didn't consider it relapsing because drugs were his _main_ problem.

He successfully managed to get through the rest of filming on a combination of espresso and vodka, usually mixed together, and he did a _damn_ fine job, thank you very much. Some of his best work to date, he thought.

But once filming wrapped up, however, and he wasn't bound by responsibility, he kind of went off the deep end.

At least he thought so.

Everything after filming wrapped up was just a complete blur once Vincent convinced him to do a line with him to get some of the edge off. Klaus didn't realize he was actually in trouble at all until he found himself doubled over a toilet in pain. 

He was currently puking his guts out in the most elegant way possible he was sure.

"Jesus, Klaus." Allison said running a hand over his back gently. 

It stung when she did.

"I fucked up." Klaus mumbled, pressing his head against the bowl.

"No shit." 

Klaus turned and smiled toothily at Ben "Oh, there you are! Been awhile, I almost kind of missed you." He must have been _real_ fucked up if he only just realized Ben was there.

"Oh, thank goodness Ben's back." Allison muttered. "Come on, let's get you up." There was a twinge of something in her voice, but Klaus couldn't figure out what it was or what it meant. 

"No, no I think I'm still sick." Klaus mumbled, closing his eyes against the onslaught of nausea. 

"I called the number you gave me, they have an opening." A third voice, Patrick, no doubt, said. "We need to get him there by 8pm."

Klaus felt something but he didn't know if it was the nausea, the throbbing he felt throughout his body, or something else.

"Thanks." Allison said, trying to help Klaus up, but he felt very much like staying where he was. 

"Why am I in pain."

"Alcohol poisoning, and coke energy. You did like five lines of coke two and a half hours ago." Ben said.

"You _look_ like you got hit by a car, but it was probably some kind of fight? You weren't exactly coherent when you came in." Allison said softly. 

"Yeah, because he tried to climb a tree to save a _squirrel._ You also got into a bar fight and got your ass kicked." Ben explained.

Klaus pointed to Ben, "Shit, yeah. I owed a guy some money, I think."

"We have money-"

"No, you tried flirting with a guy's girlfriend. and then you tried flirting with _him_. They didn't really like the threesome idea." 

"Oh, that makes sense." Klaus mumbled, doing a terrible job of relaying what Ben said to Allison. "Am I still cute, at least?"

Allison and Ben both said "No." simultaneously.

There was some whispering and shuffling behind him, and then the bathroom door closed.

"Klaus, if this is about… us…"

Klaus shook his head "No, no work, too much, I was tired and frustrated."

"Well Patrick got you a spot in your rehab center. We'll get you cleaned up and head over, ok?" 

Klaus nodded, then shook his head. "Work, I can't. _Fuck_ . I screwed up, _shit_."

"We told Sasha, she's helping Maddie to keep everything under control. It's only for a few weeks." Allison said.

Klaus nodded. Maddie was basically his second in command just because of how reliable and easy to work with she was.

Sasha would keep everything organized for him. She was already doing that anyway. 

Rehab was fine. He liked rehab, for the most part. He didn't like that he had to go, and the inevitable media shit storm that would follow because of the asshole paparazzi who follow Allison's car _everywhere_ , but still.

And then a month later he was back, excitedly running over to his sister and enveloping her in a, rather awkward, hug.

Allison wasn't nearly as happy to see him as he'd hoped.

"I bought a thing!" Klaus said excitedly.

"I see that... You look good." Allison said slowly, trying to focus on Klaus. She tugged gently on a strand of hair, and her eyes watched it bounce back into shape. Klaus had grown it out and, while the ends were still red, the rest was his natural brown color. 

And quite curly. 

It was currently being pushed back by a pair of sunglasses. 

Ben was standing there looking at Allison as if wishing he could telepathically communicate with her. 

"Thanks! Where's my hug?" Klaus asked, spreading his arms wide. "That was a terrible excuse for one."

Allison rolled her eyes and pulled him into a hug. "I'm _really_ glad you're back. And feeling better?"

Klaus nodded. He was _genuinely_ feeling better. "Yeah, yeah I'm good. Relapse is common in stressful situations. I'm ok, and with Sasha I should be less liable to relapse so spectacularly." He said, crossing his fingers.

"Good… Now, onto… Well you can't even drive a car legally…" Allison said, looking up. 

Klaus nodded "Well yeah, but I'm considering getting my license. And also, I already talked to pilots, it'll be fine." Klaus said. "And, _and_ I already have a hangar for it!" Klaus glanced up, waving at the pilot who would be his instructor once he had the money for it.

"And yet you decided to have the helicopter flown to the back of your apartment building." Ben said, sighing.

Klaus shrugged. "I mean I can't afford any more fuel at the moment, so he's gotta go." And Klaus waved at him to let him know he can go. 

Allison chewed on her lip. "But I'll get to ride in it?"

"Obviously." Klaus said, rolling his eyes, and Allison raised her hand for a high five, which he reciprocated. 

Ben tossed his hands in the air, as if he just realized he was the only normal Hargreeves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't going to give Klaus his assistant and his helicopter now, let alone the same chapter, but then I remembered I can do that and so I did.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Allison goes partying with friends.
> 
> Also Klaus cannot drive.
> 
> Mostly fluff, some drunkenness (not from Klaus).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Season 2 is out today and I want to watch it, but also I don't want the season to end even though I haven't seen it yet.

_[Picture: Allison wearing a tee-shirt and shorts, walking hand in hand with Pattick mid-laugh]_

_Allison Hargreeves,spotted walking with film editor Patrick Baker. The two looked cozy, holding hands as they window shopped on Rodeo Drive, this is the first time in awhile America's sweetheart has been spotted with a new boyfriend..._

Allison didn't care for the picture they took, Allison half snorting in laughter at something Patrick had said, but she still got a thrill about seeing herself in magazines.

He and Klaus were currently out driving. They'd been trying teach Klaus how to drive, now that he's been sober again for the last few months. Sasha had helped him prepare for his driver's permit, and now Patrick and Allison were taking turns teaching Klaus to drive.

Partially because Sasha threatened to quit if she had to be driven by Klaus anywhere ever again, and partially because Klaus didn't want to waste the money he was making on lessons after buying the helicopter.

He also wanted to save that money to get a pilot's license _for_ his helicopter.

She found another magazine, undoubtedly Klaus'. He had recently done an interview with a small horror magazine, talking about some of the work he's done. He had been weird about it at first, but Allison assured him it wouldn't be bad, and that he could strike off things he didn't want to talk about. There was also a postcard with 'I miss you, J' written on it, that had no address on it. She tossed it in the garbage before skimming over Klaus' interview. He had seemed to manage to avoid even discussing how his powers inspired a lot of his work. They was an entire paragraph dedicated to them discussing Tom Savini.

After putting Klaus' magazine aside for him, she called up Victoria and a couple of their friends to come over so they could go out that night. 

They came over quickly, before and Gemma came in holding up a a bag of alcohol and cocktail mixers.

Gemma was making them a second round of drinks when Patrick and Klaus came back, Klaus, rather sullen, floating around kind of aimlessly. It was a little pathetic.

Allison hoped nothing happened between the two of them, they'd been getting along fine since Klaus got back from rehab.

"He flew the car over three stop signs." Patrick said non-chalantly, but he looked like he was shaking. 

Allison reached out to Patrick, wrapping an arm around his waist and leaning up in her chair to kiss his cheek. 

Oh, well it was better than she thought. 

Last time he just tried to fly over traffic.

"Because they stop being legally binding once you're over them! Have you ever seen a _plane_ stop at a stop sign? Don't think so!" 

"Do we have to pay any tickets?" Allison asked.

"Nah," Klaus said, waving her off "I mean, apparently it's wrong to just... bypass traffic laws by flying over them, but that's _fine._ I'm _very_ skilled." He said.

"Well if you're fine." Allison said, "What about you?" She asked Patrick.

He looked down at her, shaking his head. "He was fine for the first ten minutes."

"Oh, hello!" Klaus said, waving to Allison's friends somewhere in her periphery. 

"You're not hurt?"

"I never want to get in a car again, but I'm fine." Patrick laughed a bit, kissing Allison. 

"Is this Umbrella shit?" Victoria asked, eyeing Klaus up and down as he floated around the kitchen to make himself something to eat. She was clearly trying to find something to say about him.

Allison noted with some amusement it couldn't be his clothes because they were both wearing the exact same outfit, black crop top and all. It wasn't unusual, really, for them to be wearing similar or even the same clothes, and yet they both managed to insult each other over them.

"I don't know, why don't you smell it!" Klaus raised a hand for a high five, and when no one returned it, mostly because no one could reach him, he just gave himself one. 

"Why are you _so_ stupid? What're you, like five?"

Allison groaned, pressing her face into Patrick's arm, and Klaus smirked "Four, actually." He tossed Victoria a wink. 

" _That_ was Umbrella shit." Allison confirmed. 

Victoria rolled her eyes and turned around to nurse her drink. "Course it was. How is it you two even grew up in the same house."

"Adoption." Allison and Klaus said at the same time. Klaus glanced over to the space that was Ben, and grinned stupidly wide. 

"Oh my lord." Victoria muttered.

"I was part of the thing!" Klaus said excitedly. He raised his hands in the air and did a small dance. "Whoo. I'm part of the family! This is a _great_ day!" 

Allison smiled fondly, shaking her head. He'd been having more good days then bad, recently, which she was glad for.

"Don't you have to go make severed heads or something?"

"I don't know about making severed heads, but I'm great at-" Allison pressed a hand to Klaus' mouth, pointing at him with her free one. 

Gemma let out a laugh somewhere behind her. 

" _No_." Allison said, eyeing Klaus. 

He huffed, breath tickling her hand, but she waited until she was sure he wouldn't finish his sentence before removing her hand from his face. 

"Giving head." 

Allison sighed, and she hoped Ben did too.

Amelia and Gemma gripped each other, and the countertop as they laughed. Victoria pointedly refused to look anywhere but at her glass, and Allison was resigned to smacking Klaus upside the head.

He didn't even seem to care, giggling like mad.

When they'd finished their last round of drinks at him Allison rumored them all into some cute club clothes, and she and her friends headed out. 

She had to rumor a few people to get into some of the clubs, but it was worth it. She loved getting to dance and hang out with her girlfriends. She hadn't really _had_ any until she came to L.A.. And she knew she could trust them with her powers, and even Klaus', she had made sure of it. 

They _couldn't_ tell anyone anything about their powers, even if they wanted to. She was pretty sure they wouldn't have done it to begin with, but the extra precaution was nice.

She'd done something similar with Patrick when she realized how serious they were getting. 

She didn't mind the questions about her acting, but the Academy was in the past, and if she wanted to be able to use her powers the way she wanted to, then she had to know that the people she brought into her life wouldn't blab about them.

Plus it was nice to not have to dodge weird questions all the time.

It was early morning by the time theh stumbled home. Patrick would be back at his place, and Allison knew they had to be quiet so they wouldn't wake up Klaus.

"Ssssh." She hissed, waving her hand at a giggling Victoria. "Oh no, I left the alcohol out." Allison hissed eyeing the bottles still on the counter. "Oh no they're empty."

"Didn't we drink it all? And who cares anyway." Victoria mumbled, pressing her face into Gemma's shoulder. 

"I'm throwing these out." Allison whispered.

"Could you guys be any louder?" Klaus mumbled, coming downstairs. 

"I love your robe." Gemma said reaching out touch the silky fabric. It was a kimono style robe, turquoise with gold detailing, it came down to his mid-thigh. "Can I have it?"

"I'll buy you one." Klaus mumbled.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't put it away, are you ok?"

"Yeah, Patrick was going to put them away, but they were empty anyway." 

"Oh good, I'm glad. Can you get me sweatpants? Like... four sweatpants?"

"Why are you wearing neon underwear?" Victoria asked "No one is even here to see them."

"We're here, Tori." Amelia said, nodding slowly.

Klaus turned around and headed upstairs.

They waited nearly thirty minutes before realizing Klaus wasn't coming back with sweatpants.

"Your brother sucks, Ally." Victoria pouted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next morning Klaus comes down carrying a boombox, being obnoxiously loud, and offers to make breakfast, but clangs all pots and pans unnecessarily. 
> 
> Also I was going to do a thing here, but I want to do that thing later, so I will.
> 
> Also I don't know how much of this other thing I'll do, but I like the idea, so I'll see where it goes.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More good things happen!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will not be referencing any spoilers from season 2 in this fic. I do not know if it'll be relevant at all in the next part whenever I write that, even, but nothing from the second season will be relevant here. If any of my planned things/headcanons match it's mostly coincidental.
> 
> I will NOT outright make reference to, or spoil anything in the second season, here you are safe xD.
> 
> That being said I'm only (already?) through episode four, and ALSO don't want things spoiled for me! I'm avidly avoiding the main page until I finish the season x3.

"Come on, jump over the train!" Ben said excitedly sitting forward in the backseat. "You can do it!"

Klaus wanted to smack Ben, he was actually  _ trying  _ thank you very much. Klaus was in the middle of the driving exam, gripping the steering wheel with white knuckles as he waited for the train to pass and the lights to clear, saying he could go.

A very fast ten minutes later he was told he'd passed, and the absolute elation he felt was  _ amazing _ . He was shaking too much to drive home, so Allison was kind enough to do it for him.

Klaus picked up their car phone and immediately called Sasha.

"What, Klaus? I'm trying to schedule your meeting with Mr. Roth."

That was exciting. That was  _ really  _ exciting. 

"Ok, I love hearing that, but I passed my driver's test. Now I can drive  _ you _ to places! But also can you get tacos? I'll order them, you pick them up, we can have a taco party!"

  
  


Allison snorted from the driver's seat, and Sasha sighed. 

"I'm  _ not _ letting you drive me anywhere."

"Damn… But tacos? You'll pick them up? I  _ really _ want you to." Klaus said, pouting.

"Order them in twenty minutes." 

Klaus cheered excitedly. 

  
  


And so life went on. Klaus was sober, and he could drive.

Klaus began work on another project, and the stress levels weren't as bad, or at least didn't feel as bad.

He carefully floating an animatronic he'd been helping his effects team with, carefully into place. His hair was pulled back into a half-ponytail, and he was wearing light, loose fitted clothing to keep from overheating.

He'd lost his shoes hours ago and hadn't bothered looking for them yet.

He'd begun hiring more employees, both for makeup, and for helping with building animatronics, and props, and sculptures they'd need.

While he did have a small team dedicated to computer generated effects but they did like to rely heavily on the practical. It wasn't easy, but it was so satisfying when they could do something without relying heavily on CG. 

Klaus perked up excitedly when he spotted Sasha walking towards him, carrying bags of Chinese food. 

Klaus floated over excitedly, letting the other set pieces float to the appropriate places.

Some of the newer employees stared at the flying pieces. 

Thank G-d for NDAs.

"Yey! You know you're my favorite, most adorabelest friend  _ ever _ ?" Klaus said, pinching her cheek gently.

She smacked his hand away. "Stop it, I have to finish setting up your schedule. You have three meetings coming up  _ and _ another interview for television, and I have more emails coming in, so I'm busy keeping you busy."

Klaus was rummaging through the bags, handing out the food to everyone here, and then handing Sasha her own food. "Do I need to do the television interview?" He asked. 

He didn't even let himself be shown on his  _ own _ videos, talking off screen while he did his art. It made him uncomfortable, reminded him too much of being a kid, knowing he had to act a certain way, speak a certain way. And he just hated being on camera. He supposed the fact that he could admit that meant his group therapy was working, which was nice he guessed… 

"I  _ highly _ recommend you do the television interview. They just want to talk about the upcoming premiere of  _ Ashes of War _ . It's mostly for Allison, they just wanted you both there because you're siblings."

Klaus sighed dramatically " _ Fine _ ." He said, ruffling her head. 

"I'm not a cat, no matter how much I wish I was. Stop petting me." She said, smacking his hand away again. 

The interview  _ was _ fine, thankfully. The host asked questions about  _ Ashes _ , Allison answered most of them. Klaus didn't mind letting her take center stage on this interview, he was happy to provide a witty comment that would probably need to be censored, and otherwise sit back and let them talk about the film.

It helped that Ben kept making funny faces at, and doing bunny ears to, the hostess. 

"So you two have worked on a film together previously. I, admittedly haven't seen it because I'm  _ terrified  _ of horror movies, but is it very difficult working together?" She asked Allison.

"Klaus was actually too busy doing all the fantastic makeup on the soldiers to actually work on me during  _ Ashes _ . But with  _ Zombies  _ he was in charge of me. It was really quite nice. It's easy to be comfortable with someone you've known your whole life, especially for such a long process." Allison said, giving Klaus a smile.

He returned it, giving Allison a one-armed hug. "Yeah, I can talk all I want during the process and she can't even get mad at me!" Klaus agreed. 

"He does talk a  _ lot _ ." Allison agreed, and Klaus pinched her side in response. 

"And she's really good about sitting still too. I've had people just complain about being stuck in the makeup chair for an hour or two." Klaus added, smiling brightly, ignoring her nail being dug into his side. 

"Well I know I get fidgety sitting for makeup, I'm sure it's normal." She said, laughing.

"Well you haven't been in my chair." he said, winking at her.

That got a laugh out of the audience and Klaus basked in it. 

  
  


Klaus had two premieres days apart, first the possession film he'd worked on earlier in the year, and then  _ Ashes  _ the night after. He was more than a little bummed out that it would definitely overshadow all the work he'd put in, but he also knew not to really  _ expect _ much.  _ Ashes _ was a clear shoo-in for Oscar noms to begin with, but it bugged him a little. 

Both parties were pretty fun. He successfully avoided the bars at either of them, and he had even gotten into a nice conversation with a director named Julian Munroe. 

Klaus may have had a crush on him.

Then, a couple of weeks after the premiere, Allison came into the apartment looking annoyed and excited. "Some paparazzo is being  _ really _ annoying out front."

"You get rid of 'em?" Klaus asked, letting go of his virgin piña colada and sitting up. 

"I mean I ignored him, and he walked off. Not too worried.  _ But _ that is not what I wanted to say. I had a meeting with my agent and a director, and someone who said they knew you gave me their number to give to you. Obviously I asked him who he was, and apparently it's the 'really sexy man' you've been talking about. He seems nice, bit old for you though." Allison said, stealing Klaus' drink from the air and taking a sip. 

"Only seven years older." He said with a shrug. "And it's only one date… potential date. Maybe he just wants to work with me professionally."

"Well he seems nice, so I hope it works out." Allison said, nudging him.

"You bitch, you finished my drink?"

Allison cackled.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is Ashes of War a real movie? Idek, possibly, but it sounds dramatic and romantic, and potentially an Oscar nomination, so... Yeah!
> 
> Also Mr. Roth *is* Eli Roth, and it could be a real movie he did, or a made up one, but I just feel like Klaus' more visceral art would look very in place in an Eli Roth film, because his movies are typically very gory xD. And also I have a soft spot for some of his films, so... 
> 
> Also he hosted a really great documentary/interview series called History of Horror, highly recommend. (Also Horror Noire, it's a similarly interview-style history of horror, but it features black actors and directors, talking about black history in horror. Both are really interesting, and if I'm going to reccomend one I'll definitely reccomend the other).
> 
> Also this chapter is under edited as well, whoops x3


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Good things happen.
> 
> Except Klaus' choice of outerwear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter takes place in January 2013. The Hargreeves are 23. 
> 
> I finished S2, but I'm still not referencing it here because this isn't particularly canon compliant anyway, I really loved it though.

It _was_ working out, given Klaus' recent proclivity for spending almost as much time with Julian as he was at home, when he wasn't working. Allison was happy for him, almost as happy she was for herself. She and Patrick were doing wonderfully. 

The end of the year was quiet, and peaceful.

Right now he was out, and Allison was preparing a nice dinner for her and Patrick. Things were really going well for them, Allison had never felt more content, more happy in her life. She was toying with the idea of maybe asking Patrick to move in with them. Maybe they would buy a house. She hadn't decided, in this little fantasy of hers, if Klaus would still be living with them. She supposed that was for him to decide.

She smiled up in greeting as Patrick came in, and he crossed the room to press a kiss to her cheek.

"You cooked! It smells amazing." Patrick said, picking out a mushroom and popping it into his mouth. "It _tastes_ amazing."

"Well the steak's almost done. I got wine, and candles." She said, kissing him between words. 

Patrick pulled her into another kiss, "Sounds amazing." 

"Is _everything_ amazing, then?" Allison asked, laughing. 

They enjoyed dinner, and as they laid together, cuddling in bed, she persuaded him to begin house hunting with her.

Klaus came crashing through the apartment early the next morning, just as Patrick had started making breakfast. He looked frazzled, and scared, and kind of happy, like he didn't know how to feel about anything. He was clutching a crumpled piece of paper in his hand.

"Uh… I'm making pancakes, do you want any?" Patrick asked, holding a spatula, eyeing Klaus with absolute confusion and concern.

Despite everything, Patrick seemed to have a soft spot for Klaus, maybe it was his way of apologizing for the way their whole relationship started.

"You know I'm more of a waffle person, but sure why not." He said, leaning on the counter top. 

Allison could see _why_ he was concerned when she looked at Klaus properly. His hair was sticking up at odd angles, he was wearing only one shoe, no pants, and a poorly buttoned shirt showing off blooming hickeys on the letters inked into his chest.

"Is everything ok? You look… messy?" Allison said, getting up slowly to check on him.

Klaus ran a hand over his hair to smooth it out, failing miserably. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine, but the Oscar nominations are out." Klaus said, smacking the table with his hand. 

"Holy shit, Allison was nominated?" Patrick asked, beaming, ignoring the pancakes for a moment. 

Klaus nodded frantically, hand flailing in an attempt to speak without speaking. "Of course she was nominated!"

Allison felt… she didn't know what she felt. It was exhilarating, like she was flying. Her eyes welled with tears, and she felt Patrick pull her into a tight, warm hug.

"Guess who else was, though." Klaus said, shoving the crumpled paper into Allison's hands. 

It was clearly printed off some website listing the nominations, and she scanned the paper trying to figure out what Klaus was talking about. "Klaus there are a lot of names here-"

"Look, for the same movie, look!" He said, racing over, and pointing to the nominations for Makeup and Hairstyling. 

"Klaus holy shit. Keira got nominated for best supporting actress." Allison said, in mild surprise. 

"I _know_ !! I know, right? But focus on me, please? _I_ got nominated for something! Something _good_!" He pointed to his name. Allison stared at it, and she could feel Klaus buzzing as he stood next to her. "I feel like I'm high. Shit did I relapse?"

Allison raised an eyebrow at Klaus, but her eyes kept looking at her name under the Best Actress nomination. She was happy for Klaus, of course she was, but this was something she'd been dreaming about, and she was so close.

"Oh, thank Christ. Is this what normal happy _feels_ like? I feel like I did three lines of coke and drank a shitton of Redbull."

"I'm really proud of you, Ally." Patrick said into her ear. She smiled widely at him, hugging him tightly, bringing him into another kiss.

"We should have a party…. I'll call Sasha."

"Thanks." She murmured into his lips.

"And Jules, he can bring the rest of my clothes, why didn't you tell me I looked ridiculous?"

She took a few shaky breaths, leaning into Patrick. She couldn't believe she was nominated for Best Actress. That was such a huge accomplishment. She was speechless. 

"Well now you know not to call me ridiculous when I'm _not_. Boy who Cried Wolf and all that!"

And suddenly she felt hands on her. She tensed up, before realizing it was just Klaus chattering incessantly. 

"-umber sandwiches? Non-alcoholic beer, or maybe sparkling cider?" He said. "Oh, I wonder how my little batties will feel." He said, gripping Allison's shoulders gently. "Oh! We can go out to eat for a nice dinner to celebrate our nominations!" Klaus said, letting go of her and clapping.

"Well, actually Patrick and I had plans this evening." Allison said. "Maybe you could celebrate with just Julian." 

Klaus stepped back a bit, and Allison recognized the hurt look on his face. He got it whenever he realized someone didn't want him around for an inexplicable reason. He was quick to hide it, already replaced by smirk, waggling his eyebrow. He clearly had a joke raring to go.

She felt bad, but this wasn't even really Klaus' thing, it was hers.

She was awful for thinking that.

"Actually why don't the five of us go out." Patrick said gently. "It'll be nice."

Klaus looked over his shoulder "Yeah, Ben's in." Klaus said brightly. "I'm going to go take a bath. I kind of just flew over here. Bit of a mess." He said.

Patrick turned to her once Klaus was out of ear shot. "He looked so sad." He chuckled, rubbing her arms gently.

"Yeah, no you did the right thing. Klaus loves fancy dinners anyway." Allison said, smiling. "I'm just so excited, I... I just wanted to celebrate it."

"It's just one dinner, we can celebrate by ourselves later." Patrick said. "I'm happy for Klaus but it won't take this away from you, you deserve it."

In the end they agreed to another party to celebrate later in the week so their friends could come, and Allison had no doubt that Klaus and Julian would do their own separate celebration as well.

They all dressed up that evening, Klaus clinging excitedly to Julian, half because he'd borrowed a pair of Allison's heeled boots and they were a bit too high for him. Julian had bought Klaus a new jacket, sequined and expensive from the look of it, that Klaus wouldn't shut up about. 

It was a nice jacket, and Allison couldn't wait to borrow it once Klaus had it for a bit longer.

"Hey, Allison, where are you going?" A man asked, stumbling towards them. 

She rolled her eyes. "Just take your pictures and leave us alone." She said, turning away from him. She shared an annoyed look with Klaus as they walked away. She did her best to ignore the man as they piled into the car, driving off to enjoy a nice, quiet, meal. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See, good things!


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Klaus eats an entire party platter of finger sandwiches, and he didn't even have the munchies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know anything about anything.
> 
> I was googling outfits and I saw a really pretty pink one, and I decided Klaus would wear it because he deserves to be beautiful.

Klaus absolutely hated Allison's friends. Well, no, some of them were fine, but Victoria was a bitch and Klaus wanted to fight her. He wouldn't because that was morally wrong, but he still wanted fo fight her. 

He'd win, too, he was well trained. 

"I'm just saying, a guy like that only dates younger, and once you're over twenty-five you're gone." She said, sipping her very alcoholic drink and smirking at Klaus like she was hiding some secret truth. 

It was a dry bar, she brought it in herself. Maybe Klaus should reccomend rehab?

"Frankly I don't get why he'd want to be with you _anyway_ , you're not that attractive."

Nevermind, he was fucking _gorgeous_ , thank you. He got all the good genes in his family.

"Well it'll still be better than what you have with _your_ boyfriend… Oh, _wait_!" 

Ha, take that!

Victoria sneered at him and Klaus smirked, feeling victorious. Even moreso when he felt Jules wrap an arm around his waist "You're playing nice, I hope?"

"Always." Klaus said, leaning into his warmth. Victoria turned around in a huff, and Klaus counted that as _two_ victories. 

Two more and he'd have good luck!

Or bad luck. The number four has consistently been unlucky.

Dad was such a dickhead.

Klaus huffed, leaning his head back so he could look at Jules. "Hey." He said in s sing-song voice.

"Sasha said that she had to get more finger sandwiches because some _scoundrel_ ate them all." He said, kissing his forehead.

Klaus laughed a bit, because it was him. He was the scoundrel. He ate the sandwiches. 

He wasn't even _hungry_ by the tenth one, they just tasted so good.

"I need to give her a raise. She's fantastic." 

"Hmmm, you're more fantastic." Juloan said, kissing his shoulder.

Klaus was riding high, metaphorically, he swore. He was still sober, and he felt good!

He had, somehow, gained enough control over his powers to not be bombarded with ghosts constantly. He was dating a great guy, and then on _top_ of that, a nomination for his makeup work? Something he didn't even know he liked doing until a few years ago? Nothing was going to ruin this night, not Victoria, and not the weird asshole who no one seemed to recognize. 

The only reason he was still there was because no one had the heart to kick him out

And yes, sure, _most_ of the people here were for Allison, because he sucked at making friends despite how amazing he was, but it was fine.

Actually fine, too, not just pretending to be fine. Allison was here for Klaus, and so was Jules, and Ben, and Sahsa, and his employees, and he supposed a _lot_ of people were here for him.

Huh.

Well that was nice.

Klaus shrugged it off and watched Ben, who was off dancing fantastically poorly for someone who was coordinated enough to fight but couldn't do the funky chicken without falling over.

  
  


Not everyone could be as graceful as he was, he supposed.

He groaned when Julian pulled away from him, already feeling a chill run through his body. Maybe it was his own fault for wearing such light clothing, but he looked fantastic, and he hadn't been feeling as cold as he used to. Also Julian knew he was warm, he was doing it on purpose.

"Why are you leaving?" He asked, turning around to bury himself in Jules' chest.

"To get us more drinks." He said, kissing his forehead before pulling away. 

"Oh, good, yes." Klaus said brightly, shooing him away.

"There you are!" Allisom said, tossing an arm around Klaus' shoulder. "I want to dance, and Amelia and Gemma are busy dancing with each other, and Victoria is... being snippy because you fought, I guess."

"Yeah, she hates me." Klaus agreed.

"Yeah, don't know why... come dance." She said, tugging on Klaus' hands.

He didn't need to be told twice, only waiting for Jules to come back with his drink.

And then Sasha came back with more sandwiches, and Klaus planted a sloppy kiss on her cheek in appreciation before taking three. She pushed him away, with love no doubt, and continued setting up the table so she could enjoy the party. 

And then a month went by, and the five of them were walking on the red carpet, though Julian walked on with a few of the cast of one of his own movies.

Before the ceremony, Allison and Klaus had spent the entire day getting prepared, from getting their nails and hair done, and then of course getting dressed, which Klaus was beyond excited for. Allison and Klaus both got pulled in by Valentino as the designer they would be wearing, and Allison rumored the stylists to let Klaus wear something other than a tux or suit.

He was so grateful for that.

He didn't even hate the ones they had, but the idea of wearing a tuxedo right now, it made him kind of queasy at the thought. 

So he wore a two piece outfit, a long tulle skirt which he _loved_ , and an elegant, lacey skin tight top. He was kind of obsessed with the color, a deep, rich pink. He toyed with the idea of throwing on one of the suit jackets, and honestly, he mostly wished he had the sequined one Julian had given him, instead. 

Allison wore a _beautiful_ floor length gown in emerald green.

Klaus did their makeup _of course._

Klaus was practically vibrating out of his skin as he and Allison walked down the red carpet. 

"My hand is numb, Klaus." Allison murmured as they posed for photographs. 

"Sorry, I feel like I'm about to piss myself."

"What does that have to do with my hand?"

"Uh, you're distracting me."

"By letting you cut circulation off in my hand?"

"Exactly, Jules isn't here so it's you, sis, sorry."

They got a few odd looks from some of the journalists. He waved at them, and they seemed unsure of how to react. He didn't know if they overheard him, or if they were simply distracted by how _amazing_ they looked.

He didn't really care. 

He was buzzing as the ceremony started. It was long and boring the way all ceremonies were, and it took forever to get to them reading the awards, and the speeches between the awards, and so far _Ashes of War_ had already won Best Supporting Actress, and Klaus was _so_ happy for Keira.

"Ok, now _I'm_ about to piss myself." Allison hissed, causing Klaus to giggle a little. 

"Right? I bet they'll read your category last." Klaus giggled.

"Ugh, I know." She muttered, but she was smiling. "You know they wanted me to take that role, too?"

"You could have won two?" Klaus said, wait, no that wasn't how it worked. "You would have won _earlier_." He said, tapping the side of his head. "You're going to win anyway, though." Klaus said, nudging her. He could also see Patrick holding onto her other hand. 

"Klaus…" he glanced over at Ben, raising an eyebrow. "I just saw Patrick Stewart." 

Klaus turned around in his seat, trying to get a glimpse of him, but he couldn't spot him between the crowd and the lights. 

"Liar." Klaus muttered. "Wait, is that Leonardo DiCaprio? Allison, look." He hissed, nudging her in the side, and getting rudely ignored. 

"Holy shit." Allison and Ben said in unison.

"What?" He said, turning around to look at them. "You did the weird twin thing again." 

The announcer pointedly looked in his direction, saying something undoubtedly hilarious judging the crowd's reaction. 

"Klaus you _won_." Allison said, nudging him forward. 

  
"Won what? Wait. _What?_ Holy shit." He said scrambling towards the stage, trembling. He didn't have a speech prepared or anything? 

He was so glad he went with flats today, smart move on his part.

He barely got out a strangled 'thank you', and honestly he felt like he was going to throw up, and he was pretty sure he made a wildly inappropriate joke regarding the anatomy of his new little statue, and he'll probably never be allowed back, but holy shit he'd _won_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Klaus making fun of Victoria's relationship status is wrong, there is nothing wrong with being single, either by choice or not... But she sucks, and she started it.  
> \--  
> IDK why Patrick Stewart, but also... IDK why NOT Patrick Stewart.  
> \--  
> Also, Allison and Klaus obviously shared a Leonardo DiCaprio poster.  
> \--  
> Also Klaus would absolutely be too distracted to catch his own nomination announcement/win. He has zero attention span, I think it's a nervous habit.  
> \--  
> Also apparently the ceremony doesnt have an order? I Googled the order and it said it changes? That's weird.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Allison has feelings.

Allison had waited and waited for her name to be called.

It never was.

She felt both Patrick and Klaus reach out to her, but she couldn't stand the thought of being in the same room as either of them right now. Allison could feel her throat tightening, her stomach churning. How could she _not_ win? She worked her ass off, and she got _nothing_ for it?

Allison got away as fast as she could.

She spent nearly thirty minutes in the bathroom, trying to calm her breathing down.

She was happy for Klaus, somewhere oast the hurt and anger, but she had worked so hard… 

She sniffed, wetting a paper towel to try and cool her face off.

Was there someone she could fight on this? Write an angry letter maybe? She could just rumor them...

The thought stilled her a moment. Maybe... 

She heard a knock on the door, and she wiped at her eyes. She hoped her makeup wasn't a total wreck as she pulled herself up tall, trying to look proud as she opened the door.

Her face crumpled as soon as she realized who it was. 

She pulled Klaus into the bathroom and hugged him, both to congratulate him, and as comfort for herself. She was pretty sure she started crying again.

"I'm sorry, Ally." He mumbled, rubbing her back. 

"No, no, I'm… Klaus I'm so proud of you." she said looking at him, gripping his shoulders tightly to keep herself from shaking. "Really. I am, you deserved it-"

"So did you." Klaus said, nodding. "Hey, look, we can share it until you get your own, yeah? Put a little piece of tape on my first name, shared custody. It'll be fine because we live together!" Klaus said, smiling at her. "I get him on Sundays though."

"Why Sundays?" Allison giggled.

"I don't want him to become a sinful little devil like his papa. Gotta raise him right." Klaus said, nodding.

Ok, so maybe Allison wouldn't rumor everyone until she got that Oscar, it could wait. "No, it's yours, and there'll be more awards. I… You deserve it, really. I'm sorry, I'm ruining this _amazing_ moment-"

Klaus shook his head at her. Allison was still shaking, and angry, and sad, and Klaus was trying to comfort her, and… 

"Hey, no, it's fine. I'm pretty sure nothing could make me feel bad right now. Especially not you being upset for being _robbed_!" Klaus said. He turned to Ben, "Wow, just mentioning him is a mood killer." 

"Who?"

"No, thine innocent ears deserveth not to know my suffering." 

Allison rolled her eyes, looking at herself in the mirror. She flinched, realizing she looked a bit rough. "Fix my face, yeah? And let me see the trophy, I want to bask in its glory until I get my own." Allison said, reaching out for it.

Klaus handed her the little statue and he fixed her makeup. 

Once Allison was ready they both headed out. 

Allison was still really upset about losing out on the win even after the ceremony and the congratulatory parties. Klaus was nice about not bragging, even though she could see how much he wanted to talk about his win.

He posted a Victory Video Vestival (his words, even though one of them wasn't a word at all), to his YouTube channel. She had watched him bring in streamers and balloons through their apartment as sneakily as he could. Allison found it very sweet.

When she went to look for him in his office one day, she saw that he'd had his Oscar surrounded by them. It was also covered in bits of confetti she was _pretty_ sure were made from shredded Post-it notes judging by how they stuck to the statuette.

  
  


The video itself was goofy the way Klaus got when he was excited, he didn't even bother to hide himself off camera, like he usually did, talking quickly and excitedly about how happy he was. 

Comments congratulated him, some in all capitals, others much calmer words, one managed to somehow both sound happy for him, and angry for herself, and Allison wondered if she slept-typed it.

It made Allison cry, honestly. He was so happy and she felt like shit about the whole situation because she had to struggle to feel happy for him. 

She supposed it was because she had never lost before, this was hard. Really hard. 

She _really_ hated it.

It took her nearly two weeks of fighting with herself before she decided to surprise Klaus by placing his Oscar center on their television stand in the living room.

Well not _center_ , but visible from anywhere in the room that wasn't blocking the television. 

"Oh, you moved mini-Klaus!" Klaus said, patting his statue on the head when he came in. 

"Yeah, well it's no fun having him cooped up in your office." She said, voice muffled by the tight hug Klaus enveloped her in, suddenly. "Hey, uh, what happened?" Allison asked, getting a better look at Klaus. His sleeve was ripped, and his hair was messed up, but not in the way it got when he played with it, or from humidity. 

"You know that asshole paparazzo that keeps popping up everywhere?"

"The one at the party?" It took forever to realize he was a paparazzo and not some random person that just got in somehow. 

Klaus snapped his fingers and pointed at you. "I was just coming back from doing maintenance on my helicopter… Well, watching professionals do maintenance on my helicopter. And as I come up the walkway from my very long and hard day he started asking me about you, and when I told him to go away he just grabbed me, so I threw him, but he ruined my shirt." Klaus said with a sigh. He fidgeted with his award a bit.

"It's definitely the same one?" Allison asked, frowning.

"Yeah, like he looks super familiar, so probably."

"I'll just get him to leave us alone the next time we see him." Allison said, looking at Klaus' shirt, the mesh back was intact, just the sleeve seemed to have ripped, and the neck stretched out. 

  
  


Klaus looked at it, nodding. "That would be nice, Jules just gave it to me."

"Victoria is good at sewing, I-" Klaus looked at her, raising an eyebrow. "I heard a rumor your shirt was as good as new." She said, instead. The shirt mended itself on his body, and he shivered a bit. 

"That tickled." He said, looking over what he could see of the shirt while wearing it.

"Ah… Well I'm glad that worked, now I can borrow it." Allison said, smirking. 

"Like my boots you stole and haven't given back?"

Allison scoffed "You stole them from me first."

"No, I stole them from a thrift store, and you stole them from me and I stole them back, so they're mine." Klaus said.

"Weren't those your ankle boots? I meant the tall ones with the buckle…" 

Klaus blinked "Oh, yeah… forgot about those. Actually can I borrow them again? They make my calves and ass look _amazing_."

Allison rolled her eyes, pushing Klaus aside. "You can borrow them when you give me back my leather jacket."

Klaus groaned loudly, but she heard him head towards his room

So maybe Allison won something out of this whole ordeal, she never owned the leather jacket in the first place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was necessary, sorry.
> 
> But also not sorry.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Patrick and Klaus bond.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is maybe June or so? Mid-2012-ish.

Klaus groaned as he trudged back home, eyes skating over the boxes that Patrick had been bringing in, he was sure this was the last of them. Patrick's lease was up, and he and Allison wanted to get a house together, so the three of them were going to ride out the rest of their own lease here. 

Klaus was still not sure if he was supposed to get his own place, once Allison and Patrick found a place since he'd been left out of that conversation. Quite frankly he didn't want to think about it right now. He'd be fine, anyway, he could afford his own place. Or he could move in with Julian probably.

They hadn't actually discussed it, but he was hopeful.

But the short of it was that Patrick was moving in for the next year, and Klaus was trying to ignore thinking about it. But it was ok, because they were friends now. Sort of. Klaus was still a _little_ bitter, but he was mostly over it. 

He had to be because Allison was away filming for the next three weeks and they were stuck with each other.

  
  


Klaus looked over at Ben who looked at him pointedly. "Stop looking at it like it's mold." Ben said.

Klaus sighed. "Yeah, yeah." He said waving Ben off. He floated up to his room, momentarily wondering if legs would atrophy if he kept floating everywhere. 

Then again, he'd be walking and moving so much that day it might be fine.

After his lovely bath and a long night's sleep, Klaus padded downstairs and spotted Patrick rummaging through boxes.

"Oh, you're back, yey." Klaus said.

"Hey. Yeah…" he said slowly, eyeing Klaus.

Klaus looked at Ben. "Stop being awkward."

"You're awkward." Klaus hissed.

Patrick looked at Klaus with confusion. "Oh, uh Ben, right."

Which he should know, because he's been here before.

"Yeah, Ben. He says hi, loves your shoes. Not my style, but, you know. They're cool."

"Loafers… are comfortable." Patrick agreed, nodding.

"Help him, Klaus, he clearly wants it."

With his clothing style? Was there anyway to help, really? He was a victim of blandness. Klaus didn't think he stood a chance, really.

And then Patrick picked up one of the boxes and Klaus realized Ben meant he should help Patrick with moving in. 

Klaus stretched his back, cracked his knuckles, shook his arms out, and then lifted the boxes carefully, parading them into Allison's room.

"Right, thank you." Patrick mumbled, still cradling his one box.

They put everything away, and by they Klaus meant himself, he might have been showing off. He was just glad Patrick and Allison already made room for his things.

Klaus was spending the time going through Allison's closet.

"Uh… You… and Allison share clothes a lot, huh?"

Klaus was in the middle of trying on a blouse of hers. And had no idea how to respond to Patrick's question, merely nodding. 

"That would look nice with those plaid pants you have." Ben said. 

"Oh! Yeah it would, ok, it's mine now." Klaus told Ben, stripping it off and letting it hang in the air so he could grab it after.

"That's… one of Allison's favorite shirts." Patrick said.

Klaus glanced at Ben who shrugged a bit. "Mine too!" Klaus said excitedly. "I mean we wear the same size, and we have similar styles, sometimes. And she will eventually get this shirt back, so she'll live without it for a little while."

Patrick nodded "Well it looks nice on you." 

"Thank you." Klaus said, giving Ben another look.

Ben shrugged "He's being a little weird." He admitted.

Awkward silence rang out for the twenty minutes it took for Klaus' telekinesis to put everything away.

Patrick kept watching Klaus, and quite frankly he was a bit uncomfortable at this point. It was a shame because she had a really lovely dress he had just gotten to and he wanted to try it on.

"I wanted to propose!" Patrick said suddenly. 

The last of Patrick's shoes Klaus had been putting away clattered to the ground.

Klaus and Ben stared at each other. Ben shook his head emphatically, trying to tell Klaus not to make a joke, but honestly he didn't have one. 

"To… Allison?" Klaus asked.

Patrick nodded. "I haven't gotten the ring yet… I know she'd want something big, and nice, but… I'm not sure what, exactly."

"And…"

"And, you two like the same things…"

"Dude, he wants you to help pick out a ring." Ben said, frantically. 

"Shit, really?"

Did Allison want to get married? Probably, she wanted to live with the guy, after all. So he was supposed to be happy. This was great. "Oh! Ok, uhh yeah. I'll help you. I mean, this is exciting, I get to be a maid of honor!" Klaus said, grabbing Patrick's wrist and dragging him to the door.

"Klaus-"

"That's not how weddings work. He hasn't even proposed yet. Nothing's happened." Ben said dryly. 

"-eed to put on pants."

"You peed on your pants? Klaus asked, turning to Patrick to look at his pants. "Can't even tell, you're fine." Klaus said, patting his cheek. 

"No you need to put on pants… or any clothes, really."

Klaus looked down, and indeed he was only wearing a pair of underwear. "Good call." Klaus agreed. 

So Klaus got dressed, pinstripe pants and his sequined jacket, and he and Patrick headed out. 

Klaus regretted it by the time they got to the second store.

"She likes more modern jewelry. But would she want something extravagant or simple?"

"She will love anything you get her." Ben said.

"Yes, exactly. She'll love anything you get her...except that one, that's ugly." Klaus said, shooing Patrick away from an overly clunky, almost fake looking piece. 

"Maybe I should just have one made from scratch." Patrick said, running a hand through his hair. 

"Maybe we should check a pawn shop, or a smaller store?" Klaus suggested, as they were shown a series of rings similar to the last they saw.

The sales person looked a bit annoyed that he blatantly suggested elsewhere. 

"Well, we have other selections." She suggested. 

Patrick nodded, sitting back in his chair. "Should I propose before or after your birthday?" He asked.

Klau sucked in a deep breath. "Before, but either way it needs to be far enough away that it doesn't seem like a birthday thing. Mostly so I have more reasons to celebrate things."

Ben rolled his eyes but Patrick laughed. 

"Aww…" Klaus sat up as the newest selection was brought in, sitting up to look more closely at a gold ring with a heart-shaped diamond. "That one is so cute." Klaus said. 

"Would she like it?" 

Klaus shrugged "Maybe something similar. I don't think it's her." He said. It was too simple, he thought, but he found it really pretty. "Oh man, I'm not going to be able to tell her for months." Klaus whined.

"I'll buy you some waffles as compensation. Patrick said, nudging Klaus in the side. 

" _Fine_." 

They ended up at a third store, and found another ring, diamond front and center with rubies embedded into the silver band.

Klaus was pretty sure Allison would love it, and Patrick put it on layaway.

Patrick kind of grew on Klaus, and not the way Klaus had had a crush on him last year, but in a way he could actually appreciate the friendship.

He was great about leaving Klaus alone when he needed to for his videos, and then sometimes he'd actually come in and talk to him about what he was doing. And then he would help Klaus edit his videos better.

"I can't believe you can just see this stuff." He said during one of their little sessions.

"Yeah, it's a lot of blood and guts. Fun stuff." Klaus said with a snort. 

Patrick nodded, clearly unsure how to continue that conversation. "Hey, do you think you could teach me? To uh draw?" Patrick asked, as he watched Klaus coloring in his latest piece, a portrait of a woman who had, well died. 

Violently.

Klaus couldn't think of a reason not to, though, beyond wanting to finish this piece, which is how Allison found them sitting in the living room with pencils and sketchbooks scattered everywhere by the end of the third week. 


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Allison bothers Klaus.

So Klaus and Patrick were being weird. They were whispering to each other a lot, when they didn't think she could see them. They got awkwardly quiet when she came into a room they were in, and Klaus got fidgety, like he wanted to tell her something and wasn't being allowed to.

Allison was _concerned._ Well, concerned in the way that she knew it was probably not serious, but still very annoying. So she drove to the set Klaus was working on. She knew they were filming in a clearing in the woods, and she just followed the sound of shouting.

She regretted it almost immediately. She knew it was fake, but the eviscerated body lying in the middle of the circle was horrifically realistic, it reminded her too much of what she imagined Ben's part of a mission looked like.

She sucked in some oxygen then looked around, spotting Sasha holding a cup of coffee in one hand, and a book in the other. "Hey, where's Klaus?" Allison asked.

"Probably buying another coffee, given my luck." She said. "You can have this, it's annoying."

Allison sniffed at the coffee and took a sip. A little too sweet for her, but it was good. And then suddenly it was being pulled out of her hand. ("Bye." Sahsa muttered). She let go of it and followed the cup to where Klaus inevitably was, not bothering to knock on the trailer door.

His hands were covered in fake blood and makeup. "Ally!" Klaus said excitedly, leaving his station and embracing her. "What brings you to my humble… uh… trailer." Klaus said.

"I just have questions for you." Allison said, raising an eyebrow. 

"Well I might have answers. Tiffany, this is my sister Allison, Allison this is the amazing star of this movie, Tiffany."

Tiffany looked a complete mess. Her hair was teased up from the hair people, and Klaus was applying scrapes and cuts to her face and arms. 

"Hi, I'm a huge fan!" She said brightly, sticking a hand out to Allison. The cuts on her hands looked so realistic, Allison almost wanted to make sure she was ok. 

She shook her hand, careful to avoid ruining the makeup. "Hey! I think you worked with my friend Amelia!" Allison said, realizing she recognized her behind the makeup.

"Oh, yeah, she's fantastic."

"Yey, everyone's friends." Klaus said, clapping. "I need you to tilt your head, perfect." He said, applying a layer of purple powder to her forehead and under her eye. "So you had a question?" He asked as he slowly transformed Tiffany's face into a mass of bruises.

"Well, I wanted to know what you and Patrick have been whispering about."

"That's a statement, not a question." Klaus pointed out. 

"What have you and Patrick been whispering about?" Allison asked pointedly. 

Klaus shared a look with Tiffany, and Allison was going to scream if she knew something. "Patrick, and I don't whisper about anything. We discuss very important… man things. Because we're… bros. Sports and things." 

Tiffany snorted and Allison raised his eyes "Sports, really?"

"Cricket." Klaus said, nodding. "And… and water polo." 

Tiffany pushed Klaus' hand away and doubled over giggling. 

"You think it involves seahorses, don't you?" Allison asked, smirking.

Klaus pressed a hand to his chest, "I most _certainly_ do _not!_ " 

Tiffany went dead silent because she was laughing so hard.

Allison burst out into laughter. 

Klaus looked over to Ben, and suddenly he started laughing too.

So Allison learned nothing.

It was another couple of weeks before Allison decided to ask Klaus again, mostly because Klaus would be stuck with her in the car, and also because she knew she could crack him easier than Patrick.

She picked him up from the airport, and waited until they were already on the highway before she opened her mouth. "So you and Patrick plan anything over the phone while you were away?"

"No, that sounds stupid." Klaus said, turning up the volume on the radio, bobbing his head to the music. 

"Ugh, he's hiding something and you _know what_!" Allison said. "And it's freaking me out, and I want to know what it is." Allison said, but when she turned to face Klaus he was floating up and out of the car.

"Sorry! Can't hear you over the wind!" He waggled his fingers and flew away.

"Little shit just didn't want to bother with his bags." Allison said, turning to find Klaus' suitcases in the back seat. 

The third time Klaus was talking excitedly about _The Craft_ on camera. It was a movie they'd missed out on, and Klaus forced them to watch it.

Allison loved the thing, and kind of wanted to do a group costume inspired by the characters for Halloween. 

Klaus glanced at Allison, pausing his recording. "Yeah, what's up?" Klaus asked.

"Patrick is hiding something from me."

"Maybe he bought you a hat? I saw him carrying a hat box. It's probably a hat."

"Klaus, please? He was acting super weird while you were away, and I don't like it." She said, sitting down next to him.

Klaus sighed, looking over his shoulder. She could tell it wasn't to listen to Ben, but rather to think. 

"I promise you it's nothing bad." Klaus said, patting her hand gently. 

"But there is something?" Allison asked, gripping his hand.

"Relax, I know what's going on. It's not bad. I _promise._ "

Allison nodded "So tell me."

"I can't, I swore a blood oath."

"Tell me tell me _tell me_."

"Uh… no."

  
  


And then one day, at the end of September Allison was this close to just rumoring answers out of Klaus and Patrick. The only thing holding her back was that Patrick was planning a nice date for them, and she might be able to get information out of him.

She had gone out shopping with Gemma, and stopped when she saw firemen and police outside of their building. She was going back home to get changed she found herself standing there in shock.

She dropped her bags, running upstairs 

The walls were black with ash, and their belongings ransacked.

EMTs were dragging an unconscious man out on a stretcher. She couldn't find Klaus anywhere. "Have you seen my brother?" Allison asked one of the EMTs.

"We got both men out of the building. How did you get up here?" But Allison ignored him, going back outside. She spotted Klaus wrapped up in a blanket, talking to one of the policemen.

Allison raced over to envelop Klaus in a hug. "There you are, scared the shit out of me." She said. 

Klaus was shivering slightly, but he merely nudged her "Hey, I can take care of myself. Are we done here?"

"Yeah, thanks." 

"Wait, do we know who did this?"

"A man named Jake Macintyre. Said he's in love with you. You don't remember him stalking you at all?"

Allison felt a twinge of memory at that name.

"It's that asshole we kept thinking was paparazzi. We didn't recognize him otherwise." Klaus said. 

Allison shook her head. They both went back up to see what the damage was when their home was cleared. 

Allison sat down on the couch, mostly intact despite the fire. "Didn't I date a Jake?"

Klaus shrugged, holding up his mangled Oscar. 

Allison looked at it "I heard a rumor, your trophy was good as new." 

It fixed itself the second Klaus let it go, standing proud once more. 

That niggled something in her memory.

Allison hid her face in her hands. ."Shit... I think I rumored him..." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It couldn't KEEP being cutesy and fun, sorry.


	14. Chapter 14

_Beep_

_Beep_

_Beep_

Klaus groaned, he'd just fallen asleep too. He was too tired to go on a mission today, his siblings could take care of it without him. He rolled over and buried his face into his pillow.

He jolted awake when he heard a loud screeching sound in his ear. Klaus looked around, wide eyed and spotted a sheepish looking Ben. "That's the fire alarm, asshole, not a mission alarm."

Klaus shot him an offended look through the groggy haze in his head.

He stared at Ben for a second.

"Shit!" He must have left something in the oven while he napped. 

He stumbled out of bed. The doorknob hot from the fire when he tried to turn it. "Shit." Klaus muttered, suddenly the scent of smoke burning his nose. 

He backed up and pulled his door open with his powers, and then pushed back the flame as best he could. He flew downstairs, and instead of a flame coming from the kitchen he found a man in the living room. 

"You _robbed_ her." The man snarled, flicking a lighter open. Klaus' eyes followed the small flame, the smell of freshly poured gasoline, evidenced by the plastic jugs laying on the floor. Klaus _really_ wished he had a fire extinguisher or something.

"Huh, guess dad was right about one thing." He muttered, that man had a lot of fire extinguishers.

He thrust his hand out and pinned the man to the wall. 

The lighter clattered uselessly to the floor, but the heat from the flames was making him sweat.

Their walls were blackened, burnt holes in the carpeting, and all he could smell was the gasoline and smoke. "Bastard! Let me go!"

He didn't let the struggling man go, and he was only half paying attention to him.

Klaus was taking his sweet ass time trying to figure out what to do next, though. Klaus wasn't a planner, he was more of a 'throw cupcakes at a wall and see what sticks' kind of guy.

"We need to get out, Klaus, you can still die from smoke inhalation."

"Right, right." Klaus said, keeping a hold on the crazy fire starter as he headed downstairs and outside. Klaus watched as the firemen raced inside.

In the distraction the man Klaus was holding onto broke out of the telekinetic hold and attacked him.

Klaus headbutted him in the face, and then the fight was over. Like some dipshit would out fight a person who was _literally trained to fight._

Luckily the cops showed up then, and they were both taken towards an ambulance. One of the EMTs wrapped a trauma blanket around him as he gave a police officer his statement. 

Then suddenly Allison came charging at him, wrapping him in a hug. 

They were finally let go after a few minutes, and they headed back to their apartment. He was more than a little happy that Allison was able to fix his award. 

Not much luck for the rest of the place. He knew upstairs had to be a nightmare.

And then… "You rumored him? To what? You rumor everyone." Klaus said, waving his hand absently.

Allison looked at her hands. "You were seeing someone at the time, and I wanted to be in love like that…"

Klaus paused his half-assed clean up, he could feel his mouth open in shock.

"Holy shit." Ben said, flopping down on the floor. 

"No way… You, you rumored him to fall in love with you…"

"I didn't think… Like you said I use my powers all the time, it never…" Klaus ran a hand through his hair. 

He lowered himself so he was balancing on the balls of his feet, taking her hands in his.

"Wait…you didn't do that to Patrick, did you? Ally…"

"No! Well…"

"Oh, Allison…"

"Just so he'd want to house shop! And to not being able to talk about our powers with other people… I did that to the girls too… And Sasha… And Julian…"

"You rumored my boyfriend _and_ my assistant?"

"Oh God, I'm _so_ sorry. Shit you could have been killed." Allison mumbled.

And well, maybe. Klaus was _pretty_ sure he was capable of not dying in a fire. 

Then again he _was_ asleep.

"Hey, hey, you're sorry, and I'm _not_ dead. And honestly I think your lack of faith in me is a bit unsettling."

Allison looked up at him, and her eyes were puffy and red from crying. "I'm _so sorry_. I was trying to be better about it, I thought I was… after you…"

"Became an alcoholic mess of depression?" Klaus offered, smiling weakly. 

"Sure…" she mumbled. "I was trying to not use my rumors in ways that I thought would hurt people. But…"

"You didn't think it would hurt anyone." Klaus said softly. 

"Yeah, kind of. Shit, why did I do that?"

"Yeah, why _did_ you, holy shit."

Klaus shushed Ben out of habit. "Look, it's just a matter of not over using your rumors on people anymore."

"Or use them at all... I used my powers to get so many roles. No wonder I didn't win… I'm not even good at the one thing I want to do with my life." 

"No, no, no. Hey, you're a _fantastic_ actress." He said, moving to hold her hands. "Right? You can't fake talent, you still earned that nomination. And people still love your acting, you just… found a back door way of getting there."

"I rumored myself onto sets! That's not acting, it's not even _adapting_! I just… I'm forcing myself into places I'm not wanted."

Klaus sighed, getting up off the floor and settling down on the couch next to her. She placed her head on his shoulder and he wrapped an arm around hers. "Look, you said that for _Ashes of War_ they _wanted_ you for a role… maybe just try… going for the roles they suggest for you." Klaus said, rubbing her arm.

"But… I did that... once or twice, I always hated the roles they picked..."

Klaus sighed, squeezing her hand gently. "So what if it isn't a lead role, at least you got it on your own merits. Of which you have a _lot,_ by the way, don't sell yourself short. I'm not an actor, I can't do what you do."

"You got a free doughnut out of a cashier at Dunkin' Donuts by looking at her sadly." Ben said.

"You hit a person with a shopping cart the other day and you acted so upset _they_ apologized!" Allison said.

Klaus shushed the both of them, flapping his hand a bit. "This isn't about me, I'm comforting you, and you're amazing. Just… try not to use those powers of yours too often. Christ knows I try not to…"

"Bullshit." 

Klaus groaned "Well I try not use the _ghost_ part of my powers… But seriously, we can get past this." Klaus said, squeezing her to him. 

"Thanks, Klaus…"

The door swung open suddenly, and all three Hargeeves stood up, ready to fight. 

"Hey, hey I heard on the news about a fire, are you two ok?" Patrick asked, crossing the floor to Allison. 

Klaus stepped back a bit to let them have a moment.

"We're fine." Allison said, nervousness in her voice as she buried her face into his chest. 

"Good, good I'm glad. I was so worried you were here in the fire."

_"_ Klaus was here." Allison said, looking at him. 

Klaus hugged his middle, shrugging.

"What happened?"

"Some psycho stalker broke in and set the place on fire." Klaus said, scratching at his arm.

"Why? It doesn't matter, Jesus. You're not hurt though?"

Both of them shook their heads. "Hey, why don't I call Julian for you." Patrick said, looking at Klaus. 

"That would be great, thank you, Patrick." Allison said, kissing him.

Klaus nodded as Patrick walked over to the phone. The adrenaline was finally starting to wear off, and he felt cold and tired all of a sudden. 

It was another twenty minutes before Jules got there, pulling Klaus into a tight hug that he melted into. 

"Why don't the three of you stay with me tonight, we can clean up here tomorrow." He said, pressing a kiss to Klaus' hair. 

Patrick nodded "We'd appreciate it."

Julian let Klaus lean against him as they walked to the cars. 

The car ride was quiet, Klaus holding Jules' free hand the entire time.

They reached Julian's home, and once Allison and Patrick got out of their car, she raised her hand for Klaus to see. She flipped him off, but not before be caught the flash of a sparkling diamond on her ring finger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it's not a TOTALLY sad chapter


	15. Chapter 15

Allison was still shaken up by the whole situation, and she couldn't imagine Klaus felt any better. She tried to look at the positive, her engagement. Patrick told he had been proposing for a few months, now, had planned on proposing that day from the start. If she were honest, she almost wished he'd waited just a little longer. It wasn't his fault all this happened, but she  _ really _ wished she could enjoy it properly. 

She  _ definitely _ gave Klaus shit for keeping something so huge a secret, though.

  
  


"I had to! I wanted it to be special and nice!" Klaus said, pointing at her when she called him out on it. "Blame Patrick, by the way, he made me promise not to tell you."

Allison and Klaus spent the last two days getting things from their apartment, starting with Klaus' room because he had far too much shit in there to actually need. 

Allison was hoping she could convince him to throw some of it out.

Like that awful rug.

  
  


"But I could  _ pretend _ . I get paid to do that, after all." She said, smirking. 

"There's no fun in that! It  _ killed _ me not to tell you, I  _ wanted _ to."

"You loved having that secret. You found it hilarious, I know you did."

Klaus nodded, agreeing with her. "Anyway, I cannot wait until we start planning." Klaus said, rummaging through his closet.

"We don't even have a date yet, though I think a spring wedding? Or is that too cliché?" 

Klaus raised his hand and made an 'iffy' motion with it. 

"Yeah, probably… Early fall, then."

"Like spring, usually less rainy, I like it." Klaus nodded. 

"Not around our birthday though. Hey do you want this?" Allison asked, holding up a simple, dusty looking bong.

Klaus looked at it, lolling his head back. "I could use a hit so bad… so probably not. Throw it out before I change my mind."

  
  


Allison frowned at that. "Are you doing ok?" She asked.

He sighed, moving his head side to side. "I'm ok… Being around you guys helps." He said.

Allison reached out to squeeze his shoulder before looking at one of her dresses being folded into Klaus' suitcase.

"Klaus, Patrick bought that for me three weeks ago."

"And you haven't worn it  _ once _ ." 

Allison shoved Klaus so he toppled onto his bed, letting her take the dress from him. 

Klaus stuck her tongue out at her in response. 

It took them another half a day to get everything they wanted, and anything else Allison bothered to salvage from their apartment.

Klaus still kept the rug, and it was apparently living in Julian's room at the moment. 

Probably literally. 

She kind of liked living with Julian. He was nice when he was there and he was accommodating. It was cute to see him doting on Klaus the way he did, practically spoiling her brother with gifts. She wondered if he did that frequently, or if he was just trying to make Klaus feel better, but it did seem to be working. 

His house was big by normal people standards, she supposed. It was certainly larger than their apartment. 

Almost nothing compared to the sheer size of the Academy, though.

But it was private, for which Allison was grateful.

For the last week or so, every time she went out she was bombarded with questions regarding the fire, and Jake, who apparently blamed Patrick and Klaus for his loneliness, and for her loss at the Oscars, it was very strange to say the least.

And her own fault. She didn't know if it was better to leave him or try and help. She was worried she might just make it worse. 

Would he have been this crazed even without the rumor? Was it just worse because of her?

She didn't know, and she wished she hadn't done it at all in the first place.

Tue paparazzi were annoying, and she mostly kept quiet. Klaus, more than once, simply used his telekinesis to keep them at a distance, creating an invisible barrier between them.

She refused to use her powers to get rid of them.

She was trying to only use her powers in absolute emergencies, or in this case on inanimate objects. So far she hadn't used them other than to restore a few things destroyed by the fire. 

When they were a bit more settled in she finally let her agent pick a few movies for her to audition for, and Allison was really proud when she got cast as a co-star in a Sandra Bullock film all by herself, without using her powers at all. 

It  _ definitely  _ wouldn't win her an Oscar, but she could definitely win a People's Choice, or  _ something _ . 

Either way, she would get it for being  _ genuinely  _ good, and not because she forced it in any way. 

She was celebrating by lounging next to Julian's pool, a luxury they surprisingly hadn't had as kids.

Allison vaguely remembered going to a public pool for swimming lessons, and she could only imagine what dad looked like in his suit and monocle in a public pool, probably ridiculous.

But now she was lounging in a chair, a mocktail in her hand. Klaus was using his levitation to 'walk on water', which was certainly entertaining on its own, but infinitely funnier when he pretended to walk a tightrope and managed to fall in.

"If Ben didn't say it, I will, you're an idiot."

Klaus broke the surface, flipping her off in the process. He shook his hair out and swam over to the edge of the pool before pulling himself out. He made a towel come over to him and wrapped it around himself. 

  
  


"What do you think about moving into a house like this?" Allison asked, suddenly even to herself. 

Something shifted in Klaus slightly as he stretched out on the lounge chair next to her. "Well I'm not going to say no."

"It'll be great, a pool, lots of room."

"But not so big that you'll get lost." Klaus agreed. "Yeah, I like it. And we can  _ paint it _ !"

Allison wasn't sure if that was a terrible idea or a great one. Really it depended on his mood. "We will discuss all potential painting." She said, narrowing her eyes. 

"Yeah, yeah." He said, wriggling a bit deeper into his seat. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love how obvious it is when I'm in a transitional period of this story. 
> 
> Enjoy! I have a little planning I have to do, x3.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the day off, but I... needed it lol. I will be busier for the next couple of days, but I'll try to keep the same schedule I usually have :3

Klaus really loved staying with Julian when he was home. Which he was for the first two weeks they had been there frequently, and he had been amazing. He was attentive and doting, and he made Klaus feel so much better, but now that he was filming a new project he was going to be away for the next three months.

He was glad that he still had Allison, and even Patrick, because his cravings had been coming in and out at different levels of intensity. Julian was amazing, he wasn't perfect and he didn't quite get how to help him when he was feeling his cravings, but he was there when he could be, and it did help.

He knew it was just the stress from having been in the middle of a fire, and the legal issues, mostly how Allison didn't even know if they should continue to press charges.(Klaus thought they should, they didn't _really_ have any way of knowing it was her rumor). 

Either way, Klaus had noticed a pattern that when he was more stressed or tired the ghosts became more noticeable. Either in numbers or intensity of their injuries. Ben thought it was some correlation he had between being upset and ghosts, and his powers spiked during situations when he was upset.

His counselor had said something similar enough that Klaus couldn't really deny it. 

At least it gave him more material to work with, so he was looking on the bright side.

He was glad his office was mostly intact, only losing a few pieces he had been storing in the living room, and ones that Allison hadn't been able to salvage. She had tried, but they assumed it was because she was upset, like his own powers, or maybe because they were too damaged to save. 

Klaus hadn't really felt up to recording, and gave his subscribers a small update to let them know, and mostly tried to focus on more pleasant things, or at least things that he _didn't_ have to focus on.

He was working, mostly, getting lost in prop making, and makeup, though the movie they were working on at the moment was small, low budget, and the makeup and props weren't intense, and it gave Klaus a chance to clear his head. When he was home he was helping with house hunting. Wedding talk was basically non-existent for now, everyone wanting to wait until things were more stable.

But, in the meantime, he was able to settle in pretty comfortably, lounging poolside, or watching movies on Julian's home theater, which was _fantastic,_ and Klaus wanted to steal it.

"Why don't you finally start working on your pilot license." Allison suggested as the three of them curled up together to watch one night.

Klaus hummed, glancing at Ben.

"Hey, man, keeping busy is your best coping mechanism." Because Ben was his at home counselor, except a lot more annoying. 

"Yeah, ok. I have to go in and check on it anyway."

"Why do you even have a helicopter? You can fly without it." Patrick asked. 

Allison snorted "Because there was no one to tell him it was a bad idea."

"Hey! I told him it was a bad idea."

"No!" Klaus said, pointing to Ben "No! You said it was a bad idea to get the model I got, but it was the nicest looking one. Don't listen to Ben, he's a liar."

"You only picked that one because the woman selling it was cute and it was her favorite model, which is a _terrible_ reason to buy something."

"You know what? I don't want to know." Allison said, raising her hands before pushing herself off the couch "I'm going to go make popcorn, and we'll sit here quietly until Patrick starts complaining about the inaccuracies in whatever we're watching." She said, heading into the kitchen.

"Wow, is it pick on Klaus and Patrick day or something?" Patrick asked, tossing Klaus a wink, which made him giggle. 

"Always." Allison said, pointing to the both of them.

The next day they actually went to a couple of open houses. The first one they looked at was kind of huge, and reminded them way too much of the Academy in the way they decorated it. Patrick liked it well enough, but Klaus in particular felt it to be stuffy and familiar in a bad way.

The next two houses were put on a 'maybe' list.

The last house they looked at for the day was kind of prefect, though. Three bedrooms, including master bedroom, all of them with a connecting ensuite, and a huge yard. Sadly no pool, but the realtor offered to give them a number for a pool contractor.

And, best of all, an entire guest house. The realtor said it was a converted garage, and when they walked through it, Klaus kind of fell in love with the place. It wasn't dissimilar to the amount of space he had for himself back at the apartment. A living room, kitchen, full bathroom, and two rooms, one of which he would turn to an office.

It would let him continue to live with Allison while still giving her space, especially for her and Patrick. 

"I was thinking the same thing." Patrick said when he brought it up. "I… mean Klaus will obviously be welcome whenever he wants." And Klaus found that to be a weird statement, because of _course_ he would?

"Yeah, like obviously we'd still probably end up spending more time together than apart, but it'll be great to be able to have our separate time from each other." Allison agreed.

"And I won't have to accidentally walk on you two having _relations_." Klaus said, tossing them a wink.

Allison groaned, "We're in agreement with this place, though? I kind of love it." She said, gripping Klaus and Patrick's hand.

"Yeah, sweetie, it sounds amazing." Patrick said. 

Klaus squeezed her hand back, nodding excitedly. "Definitely, this is so exciting!" Klaus said, wrapping his arms around the both of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I imagine the Brady house when I wrote this? Yes, yes I did. 
> 
> I basically find en suite bathrooms the pinnacle of high class living xD. "Oh, you're bathroom is attached to your bedroom? Must be rich."


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some wedding planning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will not judge anyone's fashion, but also dropped waist and/or mermaid style gowns are not my favorite (mostly the dropped waist, because they just look so awkward, like... either go full mermaid, or have a proper waist line, please).

It was another two months before they closed on the house, and a few days after that they began moving in. Once they were all packed and settled, they threw a house warming party. 

It was pretty simple, music on the television, and food that they had catered. 

But the highlight of it was that Patrick decided to announce their engagement, and Klaus helped reveal decorations declaring their engagement. And then a month later they picked a date, deciding to go with an August wedding in 2014. They had over a year to plan, and which was perfect in Allison's opinion. It gave her plenty of time to pick out a theme, and dresses.

Allison did want to get her and her bridal party's dresses started early to have plenty of time for any changes they may need. She wanted to go in with at least a basic color and style to streamline her appointment for the bridesmaid dresses, which is what brought her three closest friends, and Klaus to sit around on the floor of her living room. 

  
  


"You should go strapless." Amelia said "Your arms are amazing, no reason to hide them."

Except everyone was focused on picking her wedding dress, first. 

"Something fitted too." Gemma agreed. 

"Maybe not a dropped waist, though, not a fan of that style." Klaus said.

"She has the body for it." Victoria said, her way of saying Klaus had no taste, undoubtedly.

Klaus struggled for a second before nodding "Yeah, she definitely does, maybe a mermaid dress, similar shape if you get the right style." and that was Klaus saying he thought Victoria was an idiot, and he hated her idea.

Allison didn't know how long these thinly veiled insults disguised as a conversation was going to last. At the moment Victoria and Klaus were managing to behave civilly towards each other in the best way two of the cattiest people Allison knew could. They seemed to have come to some sort of a truce, as far as Allison could tell, because when either of them made a suggestion they didn't agree with, they merely gave each other an annoyed look, or tried to add something to the conversation that sounded completely harmless, but managed to hit their ego in the exact right way.

Allison didn't know if it was because they were going to suggest it themselves, or if it was just a habit for them, but either way it was entertaining as hell, and significantly less stressful than having them outright hurling insults at each other.

  
  


"I'm going to try on different styles." Allison said, eyeing the both of them carefully, watching the two of them deflate a bit.

"Good idea." They said, glancing at each other. "Don't copy me…"

Allison wondered vaguely if this was how Klaus felt when she and Ben said things in unison.

"What colors for the bridal party, do you think?" Gemma asked.

"Warm colors would look nice." Amelia said.

Klaus glanced over to Ben, "No, we're not going with high-vis orange. That's tacky as fuck." Klaus muttered, shaking his head.

Allison  _ really _ worried for Ben's taste in clothes if he thought neon orange was a good choice. 

  
  


"Maybe red?" Amelia adde, eyeing Klaus and holding back a giggle as she patted his hand gently. "It would look good on all of us." 

Allison could imagine what she would look like in white, surrounded by beautiful red, and she loved the idea. "Yes! We can worry about shade when we go shopping, but red sounds amazing, it would look beautiful."

"We'll just have to make sure the dresses match Klaus' suit, and that  _ that _ suit matches with Patrick's groomsmen… If you're wearing a suit?" Gemma asked.

It wasn't something they'd discussed yet, early stages, after all. But Allison  _ didn't  _ care, she knew he didn't typically like wearing suits, and she wasn't going to force him to wear one. But he would look  _ really _ nice in one.

  
  


Klaus looked up at her as if reading her mind. He gave her a shrug. "It's your wedding, I'm ok with anything, really." She eyed him carefully but the way he nodded at her was sincere.

"You and Victoria are already going to be slightly different from the rest of the bridesmaids since you're my people of honor… It  _ would  _ look really cute if you wore a matching dress and suit." Allison said. 

"It's your wedding, sis, if we find a suit I'll wear it, just know that you're at my mercy whenever I get married." Klaus said with a smirk.

"Besides, if it does end up being a suit it definitely won't be bland." 

"Or tacky." Victoria said brightly.

Allison winced a bit.

Klaus looked at her with abject offense on his face. "No, no, I would never wear anything tacky." Klaus agreed.

  
  


Gemma butted in with another question so Victoria and Klaus wouldn't continue to derail the conversation.

By the end of the day they had a list of shops they were going to check out in the upcoming weeks. 

That night Allison curled up in bed next to Patrick. She went over some of the basic concepts they were thinking of using.

"You can help us pick out catering!" Allison said excitedly.

"Ah, sure, sure. I can just sit here while you control the whole thing, works for me." Patrick said with a smirk.

Allison smacked his arm gently "I want you to be a part of it too, it is  _ our  _ wedding, you get a say so."

"Oh, well thank you." Patrick smirked, kissing her soundly.

"I'm serious, you're not getting out of planning." Allison said, prodding him in the ribs. 

Patrick hummed, and rolled them over so he was holding Allison from behind, kissing her cheek. "Good night."

"Night."

She fell asleep feeling happy and content, wrapped in her fiancé's arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short and late, but the next few chapters will be wedding planning ans some other things!
> 
> Thank you again as always, guys <3


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dress shopping, and a minor identity crisis.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, fun fact, my only knowledge about wedding dress shopping (bridesmaids or brides) is from that one time I watched Say Yes to the Dress constantly, and the time like... four weeks ago where I fell down a rabbit hole of SYtTD videos.
> 
> Also my aunt's wedding, but that was over a decade ago, so.

[ _Video: Klaus sits in front of his camera, holding up his_ **_Hello_ ** _hand and smiling. He looks a bit awkward, but seems happy.]_

"Hello little batties! I'm back after a bit of a hiatus, a lot has happened over the last couple of months, and I appreciate all the well wishes! Everyone's fine, and we have a new place! I also have a new room set up for these videos, so that's what I'm doing today. Very conceited of me to hang up my own work, but I'm allowed to, I think."

\--

  
  


Klaus was finally feeling more like himself again, not trying to get a fix, or _wanting_ to get a fix. Allison said she was proud of him, which he never got tired of hearing. He _did_ get tired of hearing Victoria subtly insulting his _fantastic_ taste in clothes with her slightly different, but basically exactly the same idea.

Klaus _noticed._

"Here's your egg sandwich." Sasha said, tossing it at Klaus' face, he just barely managed to catch it with his powers, and cheered excitedly when he did.

"You're amazing and I love you!" Klaus said, tearing into his sandwich. 

"Yeag, I know. You have two meetings tomorrow, one of them is another zombie movie, and-"

Klaus cheered, throwing a hand in the air excitedly, the other still occupied with his egg sandwich. Zombie movies were fun, he and his crew got to get really bloody and gross, and it was a lot of fun. 

" _And_ the other is for a ghost movie." She said, glancing up at him.

Klaus swallowed his food, but it sat heavy in his stomach. Truth be told he'd been able to get out of doing any work that directly linked him to his powers, amazing since he _did_ work in horror movies. But he'd been able to mostly keep from doing anything related to ghosts specifically, and he'd done it very purposely.

"Gert." Klaus mumbled through another bite of sandwich. He tried not to think about it at all when he headed over to Allison's (part of the property) so they could _all_ go looking for bridesmaids dresses.

It didn't really work with the undercurrent of minor dread Klaus felt, knowing he'd have to deal with the the inevitable connection people would make to his powers and the Academy. It would be so much easier, if he did it.

But he was trying, and as they picked up the others and began their drive, a sense of peace washed over him.

The drive was quiet, just the low hum of the radio and the wind whistling around them. It was very peacefu, and it gave Klaus the chance to clear his mind a bit from potentially working on a ghost film. 

The whole day, really, ended up being nice. The silent truce between him and Victoria, to stress Allison out as little as possible, was in full swing, and they surprisingly ended up sincerely agreeing on what styles they did or didn't like on the girls. 

"I like that sort of lipstick red, it just looks really elegant… And I've seen a few nice suit jackets in a similar color." Victoria said. 

" _If_ he's wearing a suit." Allison pointed out, and Klaus _loved_ her for it, but he really didn't mind wearing a suit for her wedding. He's told her enough times that she should not that he could tell her that any more than he already has and expect her to get it. 

He reached out and squeezed her hand. He wasn't being forced into it, and he certainly wasn't being forced to wear the dark blue suits fashioned after their school uniforms that Reginald used to make them wear.

"Oh! Yeah, please try on dresses!" She said brightly, genuine excitement splashed across her face. "It's always good to see how a dress looks on you before buying it." 

"Honestly we'll be here far longer than we need to if I do that right now." Klaus said, laughing. Because he _really could_ just spend hours here. He might be twenty-three, but that didn't mean he didn't still like playing dress up, there was a reason half his closet was actually Allison's clothes. The way Allison giggled she knew exactly what he meant, and that she would inevitably have the same problem when they got to picking out her dress. 

  
  


"Are you sure? It won't take up any extra time from your appointment." She said.

Allison leaned forward a bit, smiling at the woman. "I really appreciate it, but _trust_ me we won't get out of here if Klaus has free reign over the dresses. I am _barely_ restraining myself as it is. It'll be a _mess_ to clean up if we both get in there."

Klaus nodded "It's true, we're very messy shoppers."

The consultant looked like she wanted to laugh but didn't quite know how to. "Well if you change your minds you're free to try on samples as well."

"We appreciate it." Allison said.

"I like the high neckline in this dress." Gemma said, as she stepped out in another dress. It was a high-low dress, with a lacey neckline. 

"It looks like you're wearing a cape!" Klaus said. "I mean that in a good way, it looks dramatic and flowy." He said, sitting back in his seat. 

"Oh! Oh, yes I love that idea." Allison said. 

Victoria looked at the dress with a slight frown. "Yeah, I like them a lot."

"We have another, similar dress with a bit more detailing, a little longer in the front, I can take it out for you to try on?"

By the end of the visit they had bridesmaids dresses, as well as one for Victoria. 

Allison and Klaus dropped the others off and headed out to get lunch, wanting to just spend time with themselves.

"Maybe something embroidered? I think a red jacket would work. " Allison said, talking with one hand while the other gripped a coffee. 

Klaus nodded "I'm getting offered to work makeup on a ghost movie." He blurted, wincing at himself. But the worry about how that meeting would go was bubbling and stewing and he _had_ to.

Allison furrowed her eyebrows "Well, what does Ben think?"

Klaus shrugged, chuckling "Ben's been walking around the city all day, said he didn't want to spend anymore time watching us gush about cute clothes more than he has to." 

Allison snorted. "Well, I figure the work itself wouldn't be difficult for you, just the context?"

Klaus nodded, sipping his milkshake. "It's stupid, but there's a disconnect, you know? No matter how much I base my makeup off what I see it isn't the same because it's a zombie, or a crazed serial killer… I can distance my reality from it, and I don't know if I can do that with a ghost movie…"

"You don't have to do it… But you could make it work for you… Sort of… make the ghosts your own?" Allison said, and the flood of emotion that hit him, nearly took his breath away. "Like, when I act I use my own experiences when I can, and sometimes, if it's a bad one, it sort of helps? And I know you already do that with your art but with this…"

"I can actually show people how I see things…" Klaus pressed his hand to his cheek in thought. Because wasn't that the entire point? Why he had enjoyed drawing, and learning in the first place?

"Exactly." Allison said. "It can be a good thing, and if it _isn't_ then you have other potential projects." She nudged his foot and smiled at him.

Klaus nodded "Ok… Yeah… I'll see what it's about. Thanks." 

Allison nodded. "And hey, maybe it's a really crappy low budget shit show."

"I love doing those so much." Klaus said with a sigh, tilting his head back. "The casts are always amazing on those movies." 

Allison snorted into her coffee.

"Ok, ok go back to wedding stuff, I can go stop being melodramatic now." He waved his hand lazily in the air.

He could feel Allison look at him, still concerned.

He met her gaze evenly "You said something about embroidery?"

She bounced a little in her seat and started talking fast enough Klaus could barely keep up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took longer than expected, but I needed the break and I'm back! Sorry for keeping you waiting, but I needed the few days xD I appreciate the wait <3


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where I realize I'm never going to be a wedding planner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have nothing against pastels, I just don't think this Klaus, who has the money and means of getting any clothing he wants, wouldn't be as bold and vibrant as possible.
> 
> Also it's... January at the beginning, and April-ish 2013, by the end of the chapter.

Klaus was gone all day, and Allison was looking through a few magazines, curled up in bed with Patrick as they listened to movies in the background.

She was trying to pick out some centerpiece decorations, and it was a bit like pulling teeth trying to get Patrick to help.

"Why do we need to pick out pebbles?" 

Allison sighe. "Well, the vases for the centerpieces are clear, so the pebbles need to look nice, Patrick."

"But they can't be red like the roses or dresses?"

"Right, yes, exactly." 

Patrick nodded.

She knew he didn't understand that they would look too monochromatic that way.

"And we'll have to get suits for your groomsmen, and the pebbles can't match those either." She said absently, worrying her lower lip. 

  
  
  


"Yeah, well we don't need to get crazy, just black tuxes with red handkerchiefs and ties, I'm sure."

"That's so boring!" Why did he want such bland suits? He was _so_ lucky she and Klaus could help with this . "We'll figure it out. Maybe a dark red… Klaus will come with us when we look." She had to talk to him about some of the RSVPs anyway.

"Of course he is." Patrick muttered.

Patrick knew she wanted to invite their siblings, that she already had, really, but she hadn't told Klaus. He'd been so concerned with his new job that she hadn't wanted to worry him. 

" _Or_ you two can go without me." 

Allison snorted "No, that's ridiculous, you didn't help pick out my bridesmaid dresses, but you _need_ to pick out you and your party's clothes, honey."

"You want me to help pick out your dress, too?" he asked, and while Allison knew he was being sarcastic, she didn't get why.

Allison furrowed her brow "Uh, yeah? It's supposed to be our wedding, why wouldn't you want to help?"

"It's bad luck for me to see your wedding dress before the wedding." Patrick said, as if that were the most sensible thing in the world.

Allison laughed. "What? Oh, please, what kind of inane bullshit is that? I want to do this  _ with _ you."

Patrick looked surprised "I don't know, it just is?"

"It's no fun if you aren't interested."

Patrick hummed, pulling Allison closer. "Wel l, alright then… I think black rocks look too depressing, and a lighter color would be nicer. And the red roses should be broken up with white ones. I think white and red looks nice, and it'll match the dresses."

"And suit,  _ maybe _ ." Allison added at the amused look Patrick gave her. "That sounds lovely, actually."

Patrick nodded "Onto more important things, I was thinking Hawaii for our Honeymoon?"

Allison blinked up at him. "I completely forgot that part. Why Hawaii?"

Patrick tilted his "You don't want to go relax on a warm, tropical island? Get away from stressful Hollywood life?"

Allison shrugged "I guess? I feel pretty relaxed, honestly." she said, giggling. And she wasn't lying, she  _ did _ feel incredibly happy and calm, and she didn't know how she could relax anymore elsewhere. She was busy, sure, but honestly her life here was perfect. "Honestly here feels pretty relaxing.  _ But _ … It could be really fun to have this away from work for awhile, I guess."

"That  _ is _ the point of a vacation, you know."

Allison shrugged in theory she did, but she was just realizing she never really  _ experienced _ one. "Ok, you've convinced me, Hawaii it is." She said.

Patrick looked at her, and she leaned up to kiss him. "You really haven't ever been on a vacation."

Allison shrugged "I mean we traveled a lot, but like… for missions or meetings, usually both. I mean I saw the Eiffel Tower, but I was more concerned with the psychopath trying to destroy it. He was nuts, he  _ really _ thought he was Alexander Gustave Eiffel." She muttered.

"Uh…"

  
  


"The engineer responsible for the Eiffel Tower? Amongst a lot of other work.  _ A lot _ . But still."

"But you don't know who Santa Claus is..."

Allison rolled her eyes "Why would someone break into your house to  _ give _ you things? Oh, no! I completely forgot you wanted me to go with you to your parents for that. I'm _so_ sorry." She said.

Patrick chuckled, kissing the top of her head. "A lot has happened over the last few months. My parents understood… And there's still Easter." He said, raising an eyebrow.

Allison sighed, relaxing into her fiancé. "Ok, good." She smiled.

By the time Easter rolled around Klaus was elbow deep in fake ghosts, and Julian being back seemed to make things easier on him. 

"So, why are you wearing pastels? It's the sad muted sibling of the color spectrum." Klaus said eyeing the dress Allison was wearing. 

"I don't know, when I asked about Easter clothes the woman brought me here, and they're all pastel. And I thought you  _ liked _ pastels!"

"The  _ art supply _ , do I have to wear this? It feels itchy."

Allison looked at the pale blue sweater he was holding in his hands. 

She doubled over laughing "Wow, yeah, no. I bet Grace would look nice in it, though."

Klaus snorted. "I'm going to find colors that haven't been bleached." He said, wandering off, leaving Allison alone for a minute as she picked out a few outfits to try on. 

She wanted to do her best to blend into this weird reality Patrick had lived, even if the clothes weren't really her style.

Allison fanned her hands over the shirt she was trying on as Klaus came back, gently rapping on the door to her changing room. 

He chattered on aimlessly as she tried on different clothes, leaning against her changing room door. 

"Do you think I should invite everyone?" She blurted suddenly, wanting to just get it over with, pulling the door open. "Our family…"

Klaus paused, shrugging a bit. "I mean… Do you want them here?" Allison watched him carefully, but he seemed unbothered by it, not pretending the way he did sometimes.

"Not dad, obviously… But our siblings? Kind of… I know you and Diego left on bad terms, and neither of us like Vanya a whole lot, but…"

"Look it's been  _ forever _ since we've seen any of them. We all have to be in better places now from how we were, what, seven years ago? It could be really great to see them again." Klaus said. "I'm sure it'll be fine." He said, turn over to listen to whatever Benwas saying. "Yeah, no, it's a go from both of us."

Allison felt the tension leave her body. "Thanks."

Klaus shrugged "Even if I didn't want them here it's  _ your _ wedding, if you want them they'll come."

Allison pulled her brother into a hug. "Good, because I  _ may _ have already sent the RSVPS."

Klaus startled, glancing at Ben again, laughing at whatever he said or did. Klaus nudged her "So you were just telling me you wanted them to come so I wouldn't be surprised when they showed up?"

Allison shrugged.

"Uh-huh. Well let's go find other clothes, can you really see me in a cardigan?" 

Allison thought about it for a moment, trying to picture Klaus in something so very… un-Klaus. 

"You'd look like a serial killer." She agreed. "I do like this shirt though." She said. "We'll go on in a minute." She said, ducking into the room to change back into her own clothes. 


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's still the 18th! My schedule got all out of whack, sorry guys xD.
> 
> Also enjoy this random Easter chapter in the middle of August *shrugs*. I don't know why I did this, other than the obvious differences in childhood.

Klaus swallowed nervously, both because he was working with Javier Botet, and because he had to turn him into a drowning victim.

And that he had to oversee everyone else painting up other actors into ghosts, and Klaus was trying very hard not to freak out.

He and a couple of his employees carefully applied foundation, pale to match the way a drowning victim's skin would look. He even had a  _ great  _ reference standing in front of him, bloated and wet, and  _ sad _ . 

"I mean so far it looks pretty good." Ben supplied, and Klaus could practically feel his eyes boring into his back. Klaus shuddered a bit, almost too scared to keep touching him, which was bad for him, because the man was gorgeous, and the whole situation was very wrong for making him feel grossed out. "Hey you're shaking, you ok, Klaus?"

Klaus nodded, but he had to step away for a second, shaking his hand out a bit to make it seem like it was cramping, tossing Javier a wink. "I'm fine." He mumbled. He just hated how accurate he could make these people look. It just felt so different from what he usually worked on. 

He powered through it, and it kind of freaked him out when the living ghost shook his hand hours later when he finally finished. 

He was glad he could curl up next to Julian in bed at the end of the night, the both of them staying at Klaus' house. He buried his face into Julian's chest as they watched a nature show. 

"You ok?" Julian asked, running his fingers through Klaus' hair. 

Klaus nodded "Just tired." He murmured, sighing softly. "This is helping, don't stop."

Julian chuckled, and Klaus could feel it rumble through his chest. He fell asleep to the soft breathing and gentle heartbeat. 

The next morning was that Easter thing Allison was talking about that Patrick had invited them to, so he spent twenty minutes getting ready, naturally. He didn't really get it, but it was fine, and he needed the chance to destress from his work.

Julian felt bad he couldn't come, but he spent the entire morning watching Klaus try on clothes, so Klaus wasn't too upset.

He ended up wearing a white crop top and a pair of hot pink jeans. He almost went completely barefoot, but Jules said he should wear sandals at  _ least _ . So he found a pair of sandals, and ended up putting his hair in twin braids. 

He may have accidentally sat in Ben when he finally flew into the car. 

When they finally got to the house Klaus had to admit he was impressed by it. It wasn't large or particularly fancy, but it looked comfortable and homey in a way he hoped their place looked.

"Uh, fair warning but some relatives are over so there'll be a few kids running around. They all wanted to meet you before the wedding." Patrick told Allison, pressing a kiss to her temple.

It was adorable. 

"Oh, hey, there's like a… pink egg over there?" Ben said, pointing to a spot between two bushes.

"Yeah, why's that egg over there."

"For the Easter Egg hunt." Patrick said. 

"Yeah, some rabbit comes and like… lays eggs?" Allison said, clearly just as confused by the whole thing as Klaus is. 

"Rabbits don't lay eggs…"

"It's just… for the kids, we hide eggs filled with candy and little toys, and they find them."

The Hargreeves glanced at each other. Klaus knew both Allison and Ben were trying to figure out if it was some weird kind of training.

"Is there a time limit?" Ben asked, and Klaus relayed the message. 

Patrick looked at him with concern, but honestly Klaus felt he had the right to ask!

"Well, you'll just see, yeah?"

Allison linked her arm through Klaus', shrugging as they went inside.

Almost immediately they were bombarded with people wearing sweaters and florals smiling brightly at them.

They reminded him of mom, very nice, but ever so slightly off, which made them a little creepier than mom.

Patrick's mother, Klaus thought, offered them mimosas, which he and Allison both politely declined. Allison didn't usually deny herself a drink, but he appreciated the solidarity.

They all gathered in the living room, chatting until everyone arrived.

All in all about five kids showed up with their parents, all under the age of ten.

It was really strange.

But it did signify the beginning of this mysterious egg hunt.

The egg hunt, as it were, was  _ nothing _ like training. Despite it being very similar in Klaus' opinion. Instead the kids just… ran around in their own little sections of the yard looking for plastic eggs.

"This reminds me of bomb training but without the stress." Allison whispered.

"What if they miss one?" Klaus added. 

But apparently if the kids missed one the adults just… told them. And then they'd go back out to find the egg.

"How do they learn to be more aware of things?" Allison hissed.

Klaus shrugged "I don't think our childhood was very normal, sis."

"No kidding." Ben muttered. Allison haut snorted in amusement. 

And there  _ were _ little candies and toys, and even some money in the eggs. That was… really nice in Klaus' opinion.

Klaus was kind of fascinated watching the kids, and he could tell Allison and Ben were too. They'd never really  _ seen  _ other kids where they could just  _ be _ kids. 

It was weird. 

One of the little girls was kind of obsessed with how they both had their hair done the same way, and Allison giggled the entire time she prattled on about how he should have put bows in his hair so they could  _ really  _ match.

Klaus was pissed off because he  _ should _ have. When he told Allison this, she agreed.

And then, at one point, one of the little boys broke a plate he was carrying by accident. Klaus tensed, half expecting to have to defend this kid from one of the parents.

He was surprised when he didn't have to. They just consoled the crying kid and made sure he was okay.

He didn't even have to clean up the plate himself. 

It kind of freaked Klaus out. 

"They don't even look angry." Allison murmured.

"This is so weird, I was about ready to punch someone." Klaus said.

"Oh, I know, me too." Allison agreed. 

"Are you ok? You look… concerned?" Patrick asked them. 

Allison smiled and nodded "We're just not used to all of this…" she said.

Patrick nodded, "Well we're going to eat now." He said, leading Allison towards the table.

Food, Klaus could do, and he followed them. 

Everyone was talking at the table, which was kind of nice. Klaus and Allison just purposely didn't eat at tables outside of restaurants  _ because  _ they liked talking to each other during meals.

The kids had their own table and were playing and eating all at the same time, while the adults talked and chattered about whatever the hell they wanted to.

It was kind of nice. Weird, but nice.

"So, since you do makeup are you going to be doing the makeup for the wedding?" Patrick' sister, maybe? Cousin? Honestly, Klaus had never seen so many similar looking people in his life. 

"We wanted that originally, but since I'm in the bridal party, and I already have a lot to help with, we're going to hire someone else to do it." Klaus said, looking to Allison, who nodded. 

One of the men, Bill, maybe an uncle? Let out a weird huffing sound. 

Klaus astutely ignored it. 

"Yeah, he and my best friend are my people of honor, so since they're going to be so busy it was easier to just look for someone else." Allison said. 

"Besides I might accidentally make everyone look like zombies anyway." Klaus said, jokingly. 

"Oh! I want to be a zombie!" One of the kids at the table said loudly. 

The woman Klaus was talking to looked at her kid, smiling fondly. "Maybe another time." She said, before turning around to face Klaus. "Although, would you be willing to do face painting? We're going to be having a block party this summer and we could use someone who does face painting."

"Chelsea…" Patrick said in a warning tone. "You can't just ask him for something like that."

"Well, I won't get an answer if I don't ask. We'd pay you, obviously."

Allison glanced at Klaus. He glanced back at her, and then shrugged.

"Sounds fun, I can recommend someone for you, for sure. I'm going to be too busy to do it myself." He said apologetically. 

Chelsea looked delighted nonetheless, so Klaus was happy about that.

The rest of the day was pretty uneventful, but it was pleasant, even if one of the uncles seemed to be pretty put off by Klaus, and kept giving him funny looks.

Or he was  _ really _ turned on by him, and Klaus certainly couldn't blame him but he was  _ taken _ .

He was kind of bummed when they had to leave, and the high from being around so many new people, and being in such an overly pleasant environment waned. He crashed on the ride back home, curling up in the back seat and falling asleep, and lazily floated back to Allison's and collapsing on the couch for the night. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, I'm having Klaus work with Eli Roth and Javier Botet (in separate movies), it's my story, and I want Klaus to have nice things, ok? ;-;


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Post Easter, and very petty revenge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a singular line in which my phone auto corrected "your other clothes" to "our other clothes", and it so perfectly fit I couldn't bother to change it. I'm really upset I didn't think to do it on purpose.
> 
> Pretend I'm taking credit!

Allison thought Easter with Patrick's parents went well for the most part. She enjoyed the easy going nature of it all, and it certainly put a few things into perspective. Mostly that her childhood was worse than she had realized. Yeah, Klaus said as much more than once, and she didn't doubt for a second that the things Klaus had told her were true... 

But she hadn't realized _how_ true it was. It wasn't something she could easily visualize, she had been so used to getting what she wanted most of the time, outside of the bad parts, that it was so much easier for her to gloss over them. She loved the attention she got from the Academy, never realized how truly fucked up everything was because she _did_ think it was fun. But seeing Patrick's little nieces and nephews... It really was a bit of a wakeup call on her own version of things.

She knew her childhood hadn't been normal, but there was this part of her that assumed it wasn't so much different from everyone else's, better, even. But it wasn't, and the closest thing they had to any real parent was Grace, or maybe Pogo, though Klaus might claim otherwise.

She didn't see the point in dwelling on the situation, so Allison threw herself into the interviews that would be coming up for the Sandra Bullock movie, and looking into other scripts she could work on, to keep her mind off of it, and after a little while she _was_ mostly over it.

She could admit that it bothered her, but she couldn't change it. All she could do was move forward, and make her life, and help Klaus make his life, better than it had been, and she was pretty sure they had already bother succeeded in that.

Since she only had so much time until she had to _really_ focus one-hundred percent on her wedding, though since she still didn't have her own dress picked out yet, maybe she _should_.

Either way, she really wanted to do something she could throw herself into, but that was also simple, plain fun. She was thinking of doing one called _Love on Loan_ . She liked the script, it was about a bank robber who slowly falls in love with the teller at the bank she was planning to steal from. She _really_ liked it, actually. And she'd get to play a thief, which was funny to her.

Apparently it was absolutely hilarious to Klaus. 

He didn't think she could pull it off at all, and giggled nearly every time she read through some of her more aggressive lines.

"What is your problem?" Allison asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It's funny, also Ben keeps acting out different parts he's reading. It's not you, I promise." Klaus said breathily, obviously trying to hold back more laughter. "Ok, it's a bit you. I can't picture you stealing from anyone... No, clothes don't count, _Ben_."

Allison rumored him to fall off the couch, and the shocked look on his face made her feel better until Klaus forced her feet to trip over themselves. "I hate your powers."

"Not as much as you hate bringing heavy grocery bags into the house!"

Even still, the joke was on him. Apparently the director was a pretty big fan of the Umbrella Academy, and while normally Allison didn't really like hearing about it anymore than Klaus did (though significantly less adamant), it _did_ give her an in to play a bit of a prank on the asshole.

He seemed in particular to be a fan of Klaus, both as an artist, and because his kids were fans of the comics, and he got suckered into them. As a bit of revenge for Klaus mocking her she made a deal with him to get Klaus a bit part in the movie.

The director promised not to ask about the Umbrella Academy, (but he _really_ wanted an autograph to give to his daughter, and Allison said she would try), and she would convince Klaus to take the part. 

She just tricked her brother to come to set with her, he had a couple days off his own set, so she brought him with her, under the guise of wanting to have him with her for old times sake.

The absolute look of betrayal on Klaus' face when he realized why he was really here definitely warmed Allison's heart.

"Oh, wow, hi, it's great to meet you." Billy said, thrusting a hand out for Klaus. "I really love your work, if I ever end up doing a scary movie I know who I want. I'm so glad you agreed to do this. I know it's a small part, but we _really_ appreciate you being here."

Klaus looked _horrified_ , and Allison had to try not to laugh. "Right, right, it's a pleasure, really. It's… what's my part?" Klaus asked, trying to be professional despite the fact that Allison could tell he was freaking out.

"You, are playing a friend of Allison's. I wanted you to be the one who helped with her robbery, but you'll be Fin, an ex-con who provides Allison with a fake I.D."

"Sounds like I'm not an _ex_ -con." Klaus pointed out, glancing at her. The look Klaus gave Allison told her he didn't want _any_ role. But, well, he shouldn't have made fun of her. 

"You're only in a couple of scenes, I know you haven't really acted before, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity." Billy said cheerfully.

"Yeah, it'll be great!" Allison said, glomming on to Klaus.

He gave her an absolutely scathing look, but she merely kissed his cheek in response. " _You_ need to go get ready, toodles!" And with that she ushered Klaus towards makeup.

"Are you sure he's ok with this, he seems a little upset." Billy whispered. 

Allison placed a hand on his shoulder. "I promise Klaus is fine, he just wasn't expecting this, once he's in costume he'll be fine." 

When Klaus came out he looked like a bad Kurt Cobain impersonator. Allison did her best not to laugh at the faded denim and the scuffed plaid shirt he wore. 

"I feel… odd." Klaus said, glancing down at the clothing, far looser than anything Klaus has ever worn. "Comfortable though, think I can keep this up?" 

On anyone else Allison wouldn't look twice, perfectly normal clothes and outfit, it was just _really_ funny seeing Klaus in it. "Yeah, until you get tired of not wearing all of our other clothes."

  
  


Klaus tilted his head back, taking a deep breath. "Probably, but it doesn't mean I can't adapt this into a style that fits me better." Klaus pointed out.

Allison handed him his script so he could go over his lines, and the smallest amount of mild anxiety built up inside. "You uh… you are ok with this, right?"

"Oh, yeah, I figured if I suck really bad, they'll just edit me out, anyway." Klaus said, lazily waving his hand.

Allison chuckled "ok, but it _is_ payback for making fun."

Klaus snorted, shoving at her "Mean, _mean_ I wasn't making fun of _you_."

"Uh-huh."

"Besides, I accidentally bleached that floral sundress you had and I've been trying to figure out how to make it up to you."

Allison startled at that, "What?!"

"See, now we're even!" Klaus said excitedly, clapping his hands together, along with the script. "Yey, everyone is happy."

"Wow, now you _definitely_ have to give Billy your autograph." 

Klaus pouted at her, looking up at her through his eyelashes.

"That will _not_ work on me." Allison said, prodding his arm as Billy called for them to get ready. 

Klaus mumbled under his breath, then hissed something unintelligible at Ben. "Fine, _fine_. Fine. One autograph, that's it." Klaus sighed, using two fingers to gesture between the two of them.

"You got it!" Allison said, cheerfully linking their arms to lead Klaus to their marks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's not my fault my headcanon is that Love on Loan is about the slow romancing between bank robber and teller, ok? It just sounds really cute ;-; thief scoping out a bank but then they slowly fall in love with the cute shy, sweater wearing teller?? 
> 
> And the sequels involve the thief and the teller having to rob other banks, because of reasons? I don't know. 
> 
> The teller is basically Spencer Reid from Criminal Minds, but with glasses, and the thief is basically Eugene from Tangled, personality wise?
> 
> And Not!Spencer just gets slowly corrupted into becoming a bank robber, and because he's worked there for years he knows all the ins and outs? And they just steal for the hell of it, like there's no reason, they're just thieves because they think it's fun? But in the sequel, after they've been vacationing for a while, they get pulled in by the FBI or something, because someone was stealing using their MO, and Not!Spencer and Not!Eugene save the day, but also steal a bunch of stuff from right under their noses? I don't know what the third movie would be about, though x3


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Klaus talks to people! Or tries to.

'Fin' as a character, was exactly how Klaus imagined himself if he ever became a drug  _ dealer _ rather than a recovering drug  _ addict _ , despite his horrendous, albeit comfortable, taste in clothing. He was kind of snarky, knew a whole bunch of weird little facts about shit no one cared about, spouted them constantly, and spent his whole life eating snacks and living off money he got handing out fake I.D.s. 

"You cannot be serious." Ben asked, looking over Klaus' shoulder at the monitor screen in front of him.

"Just in case the makeup thing doesn't work out!" Klaus exclaimed, trying to ignore the chill that Ben emanated, standing so close to him. 

"Klaus, the makeup thing  _ is _ working out. You've been in several magazines, and Sasha is trying to parse through ten different meetings for you this week. You bought a  _ helicopter _ , one you still can't fly, by the way."

"Bah." Klaus waved his hand through Ben, shivering slightly at the sensation. 

"You can't just  _ research _ how to make realistic fake identification as a business. It's impractical. And stupid.  _ Really _ stupid."

"Maybe it's for you, ever think about that? What do you do around here? Nothing, while I play sugar daddy to your ass." Klaus said, shaking his head. "Pull your own weight for once."

"If I could slap you, I would." Ben said, but instead he stuck his hand through the computer. 

"Well now you won't have any more book money." Klaus sighed when it began powering down. "You suck."

"Thanks."

"No problemo Benerino." 

"Don't call me that."

"Benvolio."

"No."

"Benny-boo."

Ben stuck a hand through  _ Klaus _ , sending another shiver down his spine. "Stop it, I hate that." Klaus said, shooing Ben away. "I only have a half hour before I have to leave, I may be able to make this work by then." He said, logging back on, head rolling ever so slightly in tune with the dial up tone.

"You just don't want to do that consultation."

That was  _ very _ true. Vera, the director of the movie he was working on, wanted Klaus to have a say in how the ghost actors should behave in the film. She thought, since Klaus was an expert and all, he would have a better understanding of what a ghost haunting someone would look like.This scene in particular was important, since it was the first one in which the lead interacts with a ghost for the first time. 

Vera was as tactful as she could be in regards to breaching a subject Klaus never wanted to talk about, and Klaus really had to hand it to her.

"Too right you are, Ben."

It didn't mean he  _ wanted _ to do it. He already had trouble talking about that shit with his therapy group,  _ and  _ his sister. But he supposed it was different, more professional,  _ purely _ professional. 

"Still don't wanna." Klaus said, once again scrolling through to find out how to make fake I.D.s.

"If you and Ben are fighting again I'm leaving." Allison's voice called from the front door.

"I would  _ never _ fight with our dear, deathly departed… Depar- _ dead _ !" Klaus said, floating down to greet her. "How have I never thought of that before? Is this what shame feels like?"

Klaus could  _ feel _ Ben's disappointment, and the look Allison gave him wasn't much different.

"Anyway, what's up?" Klaus asked, landing on the ground with all the grace of someone who was only hovering a few inches off the ground and couldn't possibly mess it up.

"We have to reshoot the last scene you did."

Klaus squirmed. "I have to be on my own set today, can we reschedule the reshoot to like… another day?"

"Wow, so you'd rather discuss ghosts than actm" Ben mused, but Klaus shushed him. It wasn't even true, Klaus didn't actually mind it, though he didn't think he'd want to make a career out of it.

Allison frowned, heading over to Klaus' computer. "What? Why, Klaus, this is a terrible idea, you'd end up in prison." She said, logging off the computer so she could use the phone. "But I'll call Billy and ask, I'm sure it'll be fine."

"I'd do  _ fine _ in prison! Look at me!"

Allison gave him an unamused look

"It  _ has _ to be fine, actually." Klaus said, added, walking over "Because that film is-" Allison hushed him, so he called his shoes and bag over, floating a bit to slip into them. "My  _ job _ ."

"Sssssh. I haven't had coffee yet."

Klaus huffed, leaning against the door frame, blowing a piece of hair out of his face.

"Yeah, Klaus, she hasn't had coffee yet." Ben mocked.

"Oh hush."

  
  


Needless to say, Klaus got to go to work and got to work with the director and the actors to make the ghosts more believable, at least to Klaus.

"Maybe you should try talking to real ghosts more often." Ben suggested as Klaus tried to explain to one of the actors that they should be significantly less coherent than they were trying to be. They were playing an older, less  _ there _ ghost. 

When he had a chance to talk to Ben without getting weird looks he turned to Ben. "I talk to you."

"I don't count." Ben said, crossing his arms.

"Of  _ course _ you count!"

"I'm your brother, of course you talk to me. Even when you didn't like it." Ben said, eyeing Klaus.

He ignored it, blew Ben a raspberry, and continued on his not-so merry way. 

But, Klaus had to admit Ben had a point. He didn't actually know as much about ghosts as he  _ really _ should, avoiding them the way he did, and all. So he did end up talking to some of the real ghosts. For the  _ craft _ , so he could do a better job of making this movie good!

Ben was smirking at him as Klaus sat down to talk to the drowning victim he'd used as a reference before. They were actually kind of nice when they weren't crying and screaming. Klaus couldn't get them to move on himself, but they seemed happier that someone was willing to talk to them.

Realistically he knew that there were still plenty of ghosts he'd  _ never _ be able to talk to, and it would be impractical to try and talk to all the ones with their mental faculties all in place, but some of the ones around him? It wasn't too bad, if he were honest. He knew part of it, most of it, maybe, was that he himself was just in a better place mentally. He still had no genuine control over them as far as he could tell, and he'd really only spoken to a couple of them, but still. 

It helped, he supposed, with getting more used to them when his powers did act up. 

"Say it." Ben said, as Klaus floated lazily back home.

"No."

"Say I was right about you talking to ghosts."

"You were right when you said I don't like talking to you." 

"Bitch." And Ben emphasized his point by walking through Klaus. 

"Ok! Ok, you win, you're right. Stop walking through me." Klaus said 

Ben cheered loudly, brag-dancing all the way back to Allison's. 

"Ally, can I come in, Ben is being an obnoxious tool!" 

Some muffled noises, a thud, and Allison opened the door, hair messed, cheeks flushed. Klaus raised an eyebrow, peeking around, only to spot her friends, sitting on the couch, drinking. "Oh come on, I can't even make a joke about this!"

"Sorry. Come in, come in, we're almost done with the wine anyway."

Klaus skipped inside, dropping his bag on the floor. He floated into the kitchen, giving the girl's a small wave, as he got himself a soda. 

"So what's the impromptu party for, anyway."

"Well, we found a caterer we like, and we were celebrating that."

"I still get to go cake tasting though, right?"

"Obviously, and my dress appointment is this weekend, and you're not missing that either. I would die if I had to do that without you."

"And one ghostly sibling is enough." Klaus agreed. 

"Also, I got back some of the RSVPs, no uh… none of our siblings, though." Allison said softly. 

"There's still a lot of time, maybe they need to put in vacation days or something."

Allison nodded "Probably, yeah. Anyway, come on, we were going to pick movies to watch." She said, tugging on Klaus' arm.

The next morning, when Klaus went back to his own place to get ready, he ended up calling Pogo. He was a bit surprised to learn Luther was still there, and he had Pogo pass on the message that they would really want him to come to the wedding.

He also got the phone numbers of Vanya and Diego.

He ended up leaving messages on both of their machines, hoping they would call him back.

Honestly he wasn't holding his breath, but he could hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've got nothing x3.


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Allison gets a wedding dress.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I spent this entire chapter trying to stop focusing on the kind of dresses I, personally, would like, and what I think Allison would like.
> 
> And I'm still not sure! I was sort of trying to base ideas off the dress she wore in her intro of the show, but then maybe she would want something completely different for her own wedding? 
> 
> She doesn't seem the ball gown type, but I just... don't like mermaid gowns very much, so I figured like... a trumpet style gown? It's a little more flowy, but still has a more fitted silhouette. But then would she want crystals, or lace, etc..., or would she want something much simpler? I figured she would like crystals/sparkly things on her dress, but I could also imagine her wanting to not have her dress be overwhelming?

Dress shopping was exactly as fun as she expected it to be. Allison had an idea of what kind of dress she wanted, but she couldn't help but try on any and every dress that so much as caught her eye. It did not help that everyone kept finding dresses while she was in the changing room.

Allison had her hair pulled up, both because she was considering an up-do and wanted to see how it would look with her dress, but also because she was sweating.

"This one, this one, this one!" Klaus said, nearly barging into her dressing room. He had a giant, sparkling ball gown in his hands, and a rather apologetic looking consultant trailing behind him. 

"Ok, relax, I have four ("hey, that's me!") other dresses I have to try on, oh, are those crystals?" Allison asked, getting distracted instantly by a particularly large crystal.

"Yes, they are." The consultant said rather meekly, clearly bothered by having lost complete control of the appointment so quickly. 

She would have felt bad if she could focus on any one thing for longer than a minute.

"Ok, I'll try it on next, go back to the others, these are surprises, remember." Allison said, shooting Klaus away.

Klaus put his hands up in surrender and slowly backed out of the room.

Allison just got zipped into her dress when Amelia and Victoria came in with another dress. She practically shoved them out of the room, waiting a moment before following them to show off the dress.

She modeled so many dresses, and half of them were  _ just _ for fun, she was exhausted by the time she got to the end of her appointment.

She was more than a little put out that she hadn't found one that spoke to her in any way.

"This one makes me feel like a cupcake." Allison said, fiddling with the huge skirt. She felt like she had to hold her arms out and away from her body, due to its size. 

"A really pretty cupcake." Gemma offered. Allison appreciated the sentiment, but she was pretty sure Klaus only chose this dress for his own benefit.

"It looks fine on you, sweetheart." Patrick said, and Allison was so glad he agreed to come with them.

"But?"

"No buts, it looks fine, but you obviously don't like it." Patrick said.

"Boo. That's my favorite so far." Klaus said, giving her a thumbs down. 

"Well whenever you get married you can wear it." Allison said, sticking her tongue out.

Klaus tilted his head back slightly. "Maybe I will." He agreed, snapping his fingers and pointed at Allison. 

Victoria looked like she was about to day something, but after catching Allison's eye she shut her mouth and leaned back.

The next dress, however, was the one.

She knew it as soon as she slid it on, the feel of the material, and the way it fit on her despite the sample size actually being a bit too small for her, she knew it would be the one she chose. There was elegant detailing on the bodice, and liked how it faded into a simple, but beautiful skirt that flared around her legs just enough to give it movement, without making her feel overwhelmed by extra material.

She practically skipped out of the dressing room, excited to see everyone's reactions. 

"Oh, wow…" Patrick muttered, and Allison winked at him, glad he loved it already.

"I think this is it, yes? Please say you guys love it." She asked, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

She watched Patrick, who nodded slowly, then looked at her friends and brother(s), assuming Ben didn't also weasel out of this appointment.

Judging by the way Klaus turned his head to listen to someone she assumed Ben was here.

It didn't  _ really _ matter if any of them liked it, not really, but she admittedly wanted the approval.

She beamed when everyone exclaimed how much they loved the dress.

She went back in to get her measurements done, and on the way found a very simple lace dress, knee length, that she ended up getting in case she grew uncomfortable during the reception, plus it was cute, and she could have it dyed to a different color if she wanted to wear it a little more casually. 

She didn't have her first fitting for a while, and she was able to relax a bit, focus on finding accessories, and shoes.

And work, work was also important.

And it was going really well.

_ Love on Loan  _ was really fun, though she already missed having Klaus on set. 

Apparently so did Billy, because he stopped her one day to ask after him.

"I know he said he didn't really  _ like _ acting, but I've seen his YouTube videos, and he has a really good screen presence. I know someone who's been planning on doing a series of interviews, like a documentary, talking to different well known horror figures, and I think your brother would be a good fit."

"I don't think he'll mind too much, but let me ask him." Allison said.

Billy handed her a card "He can just call directly, no need to have a middle man in me. And I won't say anything, I promise." He said, smiling.

Klaus was concentrating on carving out details on what looked like a face mask.

"You ok?" She asked, Klaus nodded, tongue clenched between his teeth.

She grabbed a chair and sat down next to Klaus. She watched him work for a bit before telling him about what Billy said.

"Just interviews? Doesn't sound terrible. Maybe I'll give it a shot." He said, smiling. 

"Good…"

Allison leaned into Klaus, "For the movie?"

"Nah, I just wanted to work on something different. Maybe if Patrick does a Halloween party I can wear it." He said, putting the mask up to his face.

"You've been going to group, right?" She asked, noticing he seemed off, though she supposed it could be because they had a busy weekend.

"Yeah, I have. Things are ok. I talked to some ghosts. It went well, I'm just tired."

Allison was surprised, she knew he preferred to avoid them entirely, but to have the courage to talk to them, especially since he was still unsettled by doing the work he's been doing…

"Well we should put this away for now and why don't we go watch  _ Degrassi _ , we haven't done a marathon of that in awhile."

Klaus nodded "Yeah, yeah I think that's a good idea." He said, putting his work away to finish it later. He shut off his camera and Allison headed to his living room to get their show ready while Klaus cleaned up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyway, I ended up using this dress as a reference:  
> [Boop ](https://www.weddinginspirasi.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/michal-medina-2017-bridal-cap-sleeves-queens-anne-sweetheart-neckline-heavily-embellished-bodice-elegant-trumpet-wedding-dress-royal-train-amy-mv.jpg)
> 
> Just minus the sleeves and tulle (Allison doesn't seem the type to like tulle, I have no preference, myself), just a different, flowy fabric.


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is just pure fluff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seriously, pure fluff. I'm preempting this by saying this pure pure fluff.

Klaus was starting to feel better. The out of sorts, not quite himself feeling he'd been dealing with was… fading. He was pretty sure it was finally being done with that movie. He did feel  _ something _ from it, more in tune with his powers, maybe? He felt less… bothered by the ghosts.

Or maybe more understanding of them? 

But he was also really glad he wasn't working with them in any capacity at the moment. He was more than happy to take a break, and he knew the others were too. The makeup was very involved, mostly because Klaus and Vera both wanted it to be as accurate as possible. 

He was, very contentedly, curled up on Julian's couch doodling absently in his sketchbook. He was, also, maybe taking a break from wedding planning.

Klaus just didn't  _ have _ an opinion on floral arrangements and how they had to match tablecloth patterns. Also he was pretty Allison made the entire thing up, but either way he was letting Patrick deal with it. 

He felt Julian sit on the couch, and Klaus lifted his book up so he could lay his head in Klaus' lap. "What're you working on?" He asked, smiling up at him.

Klaus grinned and flipped his sketchbook around.

Julian let out a startled laugh.

"Why am I not surprised in the  _ slightest _ ."

"I'm a very immature person." Klaus agreed, bending down for a kiss.

"Hmmm. Yes, I suppose you are."

Klaus snickered, shoving Julian's face away. "Mean. Very mean." 

"I have a few weeks off. Well I have more than that off, but I don't think a months long vacation is a great idea… But I know you've been working hard too, and I wanted to know if you wanted to go somewhere?" Julian asked, taking Klaus' hand in his. 

Klaus blinked twice. "You want to go on vacation with me?"

"I even want you to pick a place." He said, closing his eyes as Klaus began playing with his hair. 

He didn't know where he wanted to go. He never really thought about traveling, or vacations … Maybe somewhere warm, probably, but he couldn't know if a place would be relaxing and ghost free if he wasn't there. When he said this Jules hummed in thought.

"Well, I don't know how to help with the ghosts, but there are plenty of warm places we can go to."

"My geography lessons are a bit lacking." Klaus said, nodding solemnly. "We can call one of those travel agencies!" Klaus said excitedly. 

Julian raised an eyebrow "Why do you want to call a travel agency?"

Klaus shrugged "I'm a curious man, Jules. A knowledge seeker, if you will."

Also, Ben was very fascinated by the concept when they passed by a building, once. He spent a whole day hanging out in one, then refused to tell Klaus anything about them. 

"Oh! My helicopter! We can take that!" Klaus said excitedly. "Just have to get someone to fly it…"

Julian snorted "You should really get your license for that."

"I could do that, or I can use my telekinesis to fly the helicopter, with us in it!"

"I  _ would _ let you do that if it weren't incredibly dangerous." Julian said.

"I've flown our car once or twice." Klaus shifted a bit, and Julian sat up so he could hold Klaus. "It was fine, but Allison was worried about me getting hurt or 'in trouble'." 

"Sounds pretty reasonable to me."

"Boring, reasonable is just another word for  _ boring _ ."

"Well I'd rather you be bored than dead, so deal with it." He squeezed Klaus' hip gently.

"But what if I die  _ from _ boredom?"

"I'll mourn you every day." Julian promised.

"You have to stand at the edge of a cliff, wearing a long veil that blows in the wind." Klaus said, poking his nose. 

"I promise it'll be very dramatic, I'll even have a fan for those non-breezy days.."

Klaus buried his face into Julian's chest, giggling. 

They decided  _ against _ the helicopter, and they  _ did _ go for a travel agency. Klaus was unimpressed by the experience. It was very professional, and easy, but not very exciting. He blamed Ben for the disappointment. 

They settled on going to Aruba, and they did get a few snorkeling sessions for when they were there that the agent helped them book, so that was nice. 

Klaus was floating around packing with Allison and Patrick's help the day before the trip.

Mostly Patrick.

Good to know he  _ probably _ wouldn't be doing any laundry when there, and should bring enough clothes to last three weeks. This made packing much more difficult, because now Klaus had to pick  _ outfits _ . 

"What're you going to do about that interview?" Allison asked, rumoring Klaus' clothes to fold themselves. His telekinesis wasn't particularly cooperative with such detailed work.

Or maybe it was because he just didn't know how to fold clothes. He had hangers, he could get his clothes on hangers. It was  _ much _ easier to get clothes to slide themselves onto hangers, rather than try to get them to fold themselves. 

"I called him, and told him I could do the interview next month.” Klaus looked around a little aimlessly, trying to figure out what else he needed to pack. “He said it was fine because he had a couple of other people to film first anyway. He was excited about it though. Seemed nice, I'm looking forward to it.” And it was true, the man, Jerry, seemed really nice, and he made it clear that the interview would be done in a way that was comfortable for the both of them, but he  _ did _ admit that he wanted to do it in Klaus’ studio, so he could get some of the props and masks he had in the background.

Klaus wasn’t going to deny the man that, he understood why he wanted it.

Allison nodded, as Patrick zipped the last suitcase. "Do you really need three of these?" Patrick asked.

“Well I  _ wanted _ four, but we couldn’t find it, so I had to condense everything into three bags. Got them to fit, though.” Klaus said, giving Patrick two thumbs up.

“I’m still worried that one silk blouse is going to wrinkle.” Allison said, nodding solemnly. Patrick looked at both of them, and it was the same look Ben was giving them, and Klaus supposed it was just weird for the fashionably challenged to understand the importance of having the right clothes for the right occasions.

“Well I can always let it steam in the bathroom while showering.” Klaus said.

"Ten bucks says you wear three outfits and spend the entire three weeks in swim trunks." Ben said. 

"No bet, I brought a lot of nice clothes, and I don't want to have to spend my entire vacation nude just to spite you." 

"Oh my God." Ben, Alllison  _ and  _ Patrick muttered simultaneously, and Klaus  _ really _ didn't like that. 

  
  


"Wow, you're all assholes." Klaus said, levitating his bags to sit by his door, ready to go. He even laid out an outfit for himself tomorrow, so he wouldn't spend ages picking one out. It was pretty simple, a red floral button up, and a black tank top to go underneath, shorts, and sandals, very beachy, he thought.

“Maybe I just don’t want to imagine my brother in-law in the nude.” Patrick said.

“Well you’re really missing out.” Klaus said, patting Patrick’s shoulder.

“He’s  _ really _ not.” Allison said. 

Klaus stuck his tongue out at her.

The next morning Klaus was practically buzzing with excitement, and also a lack of sleep. He’d been too energetic, and by the time he started getting tired he had to start getting ready to leave. 

Going through security sucked, but he was fascinated by the little shops and food courts throughout the airport, and he very excitedly bought way too many tiny little stringy dolls to be practical. But they were so cute, and Klaus couldn’t resist. Especially because they had little bells on them. They got a bit of breakfast while they waited to board, that didn’t calm Klaus down at all, that  _ might _ have been the coffee, though.

It was the first time he would be going anywhere that didn’t involve him working, or going on missions. Where he could just  _ enjoy _ himself. He was really excited, especially since he could just spend three weeks with Julian, with nothing else getting in the way. He didn’t really calm down until they started boarding the plane, gripping Jules’ hand tightly as they gave them their tickets. He clambered into his seat, only letting go of his boyfriend’s hand to do so, taking it once they were both seated and buckled in.

Klaus watched out the window as the plane took off, and didn’t settle down until the seat belt lights went off. 

“We’re going to be awhile, why don’t we watch a movie.” Julian suggested, leaning into Klaus.

“Ok, you pick, though, I can’t right now.” 

Julian did pick, and Klaus fell asleep halfway through the movie, head resting against Jules’ shoulder.

  
He would have to wake up to transfer to a connecting flight, which he spent watching movies, and they got food to eat on the plane. And then finally,  _ finally, _ they landed.


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A. I think this is the shortest chapter I've written,
> 
> B. I'm sorry this is later than I intended, but I rewrote it like five times and I still basically hate this chapter.
> 
> I have no idea why this chapter was so hard to write, I just couldn't figure it out, and I'm just glad to be done with it x3.

Allison didn’t think that, while choosing to do this film, that she would be counseling Billy, or the actors, on the more common defense mechanisms banks  _ actually  _ had, more panic buttons and security guards, less trip wires and lasers. The trip wires and lasers were  _ fun _ , though, and she really enjoyed getting to contort and maneuver through them. She always liked using her training for acting, it made the whole thing seem so much more worthwhile. Yeah, she had helped save banks, and museums, and who knows what else more than enough times, and that should be a huge honor, and a great achievement, it just… Well it felt like work in a way that her actual career never did. She liked being able to do her own stunts, though she had found she didn’t care for doing solely action themed movies. 

Maybe it was because for a good chunk of her life, she  _ lived _ action movies. 

She wasn’t particularly impressed.

But romantic comedies with action elements? Well she  _ really  _ enjoyed doing this movie. And if she had heard right, Billy was talking about a potential sequel already. And sure, she may not be using her abilities to outright manipulate people anymore, she’d… Well she knew better, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t  _ hear a rumor _ that there  _ was _ going to be a sequel. There was no harm in that, she thought. Barely any different than using her powers to make her laundry clean, or to get a free coffee every once in awhile

Maybe Allison wasn’t holding back as much as she thought.

She let out a small sigh, deciding to check her wording the next time she used her powers. She knew that was what really tripped her up. 

She  _ definitely _ hadn’t used it to outright manipulate someone, change their minds or way of thinking, and she knew that was what her biggest problem was.

Maybe she should go with Klaus to one of his therapy sessions when he got back, it might help her put things into more perspective.

She still really wanted to do that sequel, though, and she didn’t think rumoring someone into making sure it got greenlit would be a problem. Then again, she might not have to do it anyway, there was no reason that it couldn’t get a second film on its own merits. 

It would just have to be after her wedding, she wasn’t planning on working so close to it. 

Patrick, and her friends, were all wedding-ed out already, and Allison couldn’t really blame them. She knew she had a bit of a problem when she tried to get help with picking music at three o’clock in the morning.

“I’m this close to setting up a swear jar, but for wedding planning, if you keep this up.” Patrick said, cutting into a steak.

“We still haven’t  _ actually _ picked out Klaus’ outfit yet, we just have a really good idea of what he’s wearing.”

“I know, but Klaus isn’t even here to try clothes on, so relax. Let’s just enjoy dinner.” Patrick suggested, and Allison sighed, but agreed.

And then, Klaus finally came back.

Well, Allison didn’t realize he was coming back just yet, but as she was pulling into the garage she spotted an exhausted looking pair slowly trudging up to Klaus’ house. She chased after them, noticing that both were barely holding onto their luggage, rather than Klaus just levitating it all to the house.

“Not even a hello.”

Klaus groaned, barely motioning with his hand for a hug. “I’ll regale you with details tomorrow, we’re exhausted.” He said through a yawn. His hug was weak, and she also got a kiss on the cheek.

“I heard a rumor your luggage was already inside your house.” Allison said, watching Klaus’ shoulders slumped in relief.

“I could kiss you.” Julian mumbled. 

“That’s quite alright. Where are your keys, let me help you out a bit?” 

Klaus patted down his pockets, before turning to thin air, and honestly Allison missed having that little knowledge that Ben was around. “Oh, shit… You rumored them into the house.” Klaus mumbled, leaning into Julian, who seemed to have just enough energy to not send them both toppling to the ground. 

Allison rolled her eyes, looping her arms through both Klaus and Julian’s, practically dragging the boys to the house and rumoring their door unlocked.

She didn’t know how Klaus managed to remain so pale while on vacation, especially since Julian was so much more tan. She also noticed the familiar plastic wrap of a fresh tattoo peeking out from beneath Klaus’ shirt.

“Hey, did… Did Klaus relapse while you were in Aruba?” Allison asked Julian, pulling him aside while Klaus continued to trudge into his room.

Julian blinked at her slowly, shaking his head. “What? No, why?” He asked, frowning.

Allison watched as Klaus turned around, realizing that they stopped following him. “No, I want cuddles.” Klaus said, coming back to tug on Julian’s arm.

The last time Klaus got a new tattoo, in fact  _ every _ tattoo he had was because he was high, or relapsed, and he got them on impulse, but Julian had no reason to lie, or hide any possibility of relapse, he’d always been very good at trying to help Klaus out of any slumps, too. 

“Sorry, I just… the tattoo.” Allison said, motioning to the wrappings. Julian looked a little confused, but he didn’t question her any farther. Honestly Allison felt bad for even thinking it, and she was glad she was wrong.

Klaus glanced down, lifting his shirt a bit more. “I’ll show you tomorrow, tired.” 

“Good thing you’re already in pajamas.” Allison pointed out, squeezing Klaus’ arm gently. “I’ll let you guys rest.” She said, locking them in the house and walking back to her own. 


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for another wait, but I finally feel like I can skip to the wedding/closer to it, and also I've just been busy because work picked up a bit more. 
> 
> I'll try to get into an actual schedule for myself again, so hopefully it won't be all wonky anymore xD.

As Klaus promised, he told Allison about the trip with excitement as all four of them ate breakfast the next morning. The first day was mostly spent relaxing on the beach or in their room, but the weeks after were spent exploring. They did quite a lot of tourist-y things, guided tours, the snorkeling they pre-booked, shopping.

Klaus was of the opinion they didn't _need_ three weeks, but he was so glad to have that, it meant they could pace themselves, enjoy just being in a new place. It was just a really great time, though if Klaus was honest, he was also kind of glad to be back in his space, and Julian said he felt the same way when they parted ways the day after they came back. Klaus wasn't sure if it was a good or bad thing they both needed a little time apart after spending so much time together, but Klaus wasn't too worried.

He gave himself a couple more days off just to get his bearings straight, something even Ben needed, apparently. But, eventually, he had to get back to work.

He felt invigorated, revitalized, and all those other words people in commercials used when trying to sell their diet supplements. On his first day back in his office Klaus spent most of the day looking through the emails and notes Sasha organized for him. He just wished there weren’t so many.

“I mean, I know I’m amazing, but these guys do know I have a finite number of employees, right?” Klaus muttered, Ben nodding slowly as he read over his shoulder. He had a good sized team, enough people to cover props, effects, and makeup, of course, but they all worked together, and Klaus couldn’t necessarily send everyone out to do multiple projects, especially since most of these guys wanted his entire team’s worth of work. 

He did have a few new people coming in, just out of school that Klaus hired based on recommendations, and to just give them a chance. One of the movies he had a request for was a ghost movie, and after talking to the director, the makeup seemed simple enough that he could send them off by themselves, to get their feet wet. It also allowed them to bring in work for two separate projects.There were a couple he just wasn’t going to bother with, not being a fan of the director, or the people he’d end up having to work with. He responded to a few, thanking them for their patience, and giving them dates for them to talk to face-to-face. 

And as the week came to an end, Klaus and Jerry, the documentarian, finally began setting up for the movie. 

"I'd love to have some of your zombie masks, and maybe the stuff you did for _The Possession_ … Nothing crazy, the focus will be on you, but just some of your stuff in the background. We're going to be doing cuts between what you're saying, and the movies and artists we're talking about." Jerry said as Klaus grabbed some chairs. "I know you said there are some things you don't want to talk about, I have the list here, if you just want to double check it, you add anything you want to." Jerry said.

Klaus thanked him, reading down the list. It was short, don't ask about the Umbrella Academy, don't ask about anything drug related, particularly whatever was circulated in gossip magazines, and nothing regarding his personal life now. 

Klaus was happy with it, wanting to remain professional and on topic. 

"We'll avoid referencing anything on the list, and anyone who's mentioned you so far has strictly talked about your movies."

That surprised Klaus, he knew he had a steady following of fans, one that seemed to grow with every new project he finished, or video he put out, but it was still oddly surprising. It wasn't like he wasn't used to having fans, he had a bunch of fans, it's what happened when you were one of the more outspoken ones of a team, but the people Jerry were talking about were other _professionals_ , people who have been in the industry much longer than Klaus, longer than Klaus had been _alive_ in a lot of cases. 

"All good things I hope." Klaus said, not letting the shock get the better of him. 

"Oh, yeah, a lot of love. I was talking to Eli and he gushed about getting to work with you." Jerry said, handing him his notes so Klaus could read through them while he continued to set up the cameras and lighting.

"He was a lot of fun to work with, lots of fake blood gore. It was fantastic." Klaus agreed, looking up to see the camera running already. "You can leave that in."

"Alright. So how did you decide to get into this line of work?"

Klaus shrugged "I was seeing someone, bad relationship, but they put it in my head to go to art school, and since I already _liked_ playing with makeup, I just smashed them together, basically." 

"You're really close with your sister, and actress, Allison Hargreeves, so I'm assuming you got to experiment with makeup on her a lot."

"Since we were about twelve, a lot of bright, sparkly blue eyeshadow and raccoon eyes. I mean I still get raccoon eyes, but it's _tasteful_ now." 

"The only tasteful thing about you." Ben said, smirking. Klaus shushed him, leaning back in his chair.

"You're also known to break gender stereotypes with your clothing, but you decided not to go the fashion or costuming route. Lot of drawing involved with designing clothes, sorry I had a few questions people wanted me to ask you."

He shrugged absently, "Eh, I just wear what I feel comfortable in, but for designing? There really isn't anything in it for me."

"That means that you do get something out creating what you do, on an emotional level?"

Klaus waved his hand vaguely, shifting in his seat. "I mean sure, I enjoy working with my hands like this, I like taking a blank canvas, literal or figurative, and making something from it. I'm literally watching art come to life on people, it's amazing."

"It just so happens that you make things designed to scare and disgust people." He said, tone light and teasing. 

"I just make what I see, you know?" Klaus said, letting out a soft sigh. 

Jerry looked surprised by that statement "Do you want to elaborate on that?"

Klaus hummed, he wasn't really sure if he wanted to talk about his powers, but now that he was in it, and that they were broaching the subject, he didn't really mind much. "Well, I can communicate with the dead." Klaus said, gesturing broadly to his visible chest, and flashing both sides of his hands. "But I can see them, too. And so I use my powers as a reference guide."

"Huh, that explains how some of your work is so visceral. So, I know it's not a horror film by normal definitions, but you were using real life… or dead, soldiers as reference for all the injuries and death scenes in _Ashes of War_ , which you won an Oscar for. But I've seen people praising that as your most realistic makeup to date, and some detractors of the horror genre say your work's gotten _worse_."

Klaus gave a single, long, nod "Yeah, no, the story is more realistic so the makeup looked more real, but I don't _usually_ exaggerate things, unless we're going for over the top ridiculous. We've had to tone down the makeup and effects in some cases, though!" Klaus said excitedly. "But I see the improvements myself, and my team, make with each project, so I'm not too torn up about some people complaining about me wasting my talents." Klaus snorted. He'd heard it before, anyway, and a bunch of asshole strangers saying it didn't really mean much.

"Well even I could tell from your earliest movies, to your more recent ones, it does look more realistic when you look at it out of context. "

Klaus beamed "Thanks, means a lot." 

The rest of the interview went by quickly. He had a lot of fun talking about movies, and getting to pick apart how his effects, the ones that weren't done by his own telekinesis, which he kept quiet on, were done.

He was excited to see the entire thing when it was done, and even convinced Jerry to do a quick video for his YouTube channel, which he was excited to do.

He called Julian over, since Allison and Patrick were out. 

They hung out, cooked dinner, and then, after a couple of hours hanging out, before Julian went back home, saying he had to be up early in the morning, and he hadn't brought a change of clothes.

Klaus didn't really mind, mostly because he was starting to think they weren't really fitting quite right anymore. 

"Maybe it's time to break up?" Ben suggested, and Klaus couldn't really argue with it, beyond still enjoying being in Julian's company. 

"We'll talk about it over the weekend." Klaus agreed, though he was pretty sure he already knew how it was going to go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know there is at least one movie called The Possession, I have only seen some of it, vaguely? This doesn't have to be that movie, but it can be if you want x3


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Allison is stressed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This skipped to about three weeks before the wedding, so late July, 2014! There might have been a better way to do this, but my brain was getting overwhelmed, and that's not good for writing fanfiction (or anything), so I just did what I had to make this fun again! Hope you don't mind <3

The next few months were a blur of interviews about _Love on Loan_ , and setting up contracts for more filming after her wedding. 

The documentary Klaus was in came out a few weeks after the premiere of her own movie. It was well put together, and even though Allison could tell Klaus wasn't necessarily comfortable being filmed, but she knew from experience everyone who didn't know him would see him as open and charismatic. It was strange noticing small ticks he'd had as a kid, playing with his clothes, or picking at his fingernails, something she didn't realize he only did in interviews or on camera.

Allison was _kind_ of freaking out, the months leading up to her wedding went by faster and faster. She barely got the chance to enjoy the premiere of _Love on Loan_ , but was pleased to find that it was well received. There was already award talk, which Allison was looking forward to. It wouldn’t be an Academy Award, but she was still looking forward to the potential win. She also knew Klaus’ latest film was in the talks for a couple of Saturn Awards, with makeup being one of the potential nominations. It was all rumors, which Allison didn’t feel to see the humor in, but it was still exciting. 

And then the weeks and months went on more, and suddenly her wedding was only weeks away, and she was starting to feel the panic setting in. She had just finished her final fitting,with one a few decorative tweaks needing to be made. But she couldn’t help but think. 

Klaus was back at home, checking over some last minute phone calls, to make sure everything was going smoothly, she knew that everything was fine, that they weren’t behind schedule on anything, and yet she felt like she was. She kept thinking about the dresses, and suits, even thought she _knew_ everything was fine. Klaus’ suit, a beautiful deep red, embroidered three-piece suit was already finished, and fitted. The bridesmaids dresses were all the same, fitted and ready to be worn.

But there was the cake, and the caterers, and the music, and the decorations needed to be put together… 

Allison took a deep breath before walking into her home. She was also bothered by the fact that Patrick would still be working for another five days before he had time off. 

  
  


She felt a sense of relief when she came back home to see Klaus pacing, hovering, really, back and forth, with the phone held between his ear and shoulder, papers floating around him. He was floating high enough that Allison was at eye-level with the floral tattoo peeking from under his shirt. But it meant that he was on top of things, literally in this case something she really needed to see right now. 

He absently waved at Allison, still focused on his phone call. "Uh, let me ask. You said the cake needed to be at the reception by six, right?"

"Five-thirty!" She said, a sense of panic overtaking her for a moment. She couldn’t have the cake get there at the same time as the guests, she wanted the reception hall to be finished, and beautiful, and… 

Klaus confirmed that time on the phone before hanging up and Allison could breathe again. "Five-thirty it is." He said, giving her a lazy thumbs up. 

“Thanks…” She said, feeling the need to sit down. She knew everything would be fine, that she was being ridiculous, but she couldn’t help but be worried, she didn’t want something to go wrong, and she was worried something would go wrong. 

Even if she knew Klaus, and her friends, were all working hard to make sure things ran smoothly. Which is why it was strange that Allison was so surprised to see a frazzled looking Victoria come into the living room. 

She was carrying a few boxes, or really barely dragging them around. Klaus seamlessly took over carrying the boxes, albeit telekinetically, leaving Victoria in charge of the phone. "I think those are the vases for the centerpieces, they're heavy as fuck." Victoria said, quickly dialing a number.

"Or rocks." Klaus muttered, opening the box. 

Allison felt her face flush "They're for the aesthetic."

Victoria looked up in surprise. "Oh! You're here, good, there are a bunch of gifts people sent to you because they couldn’t be here for the wedding,, but you said you won't open them until after you get back from your honeymoon, so…"

Allison stared at Victoria for a moment. "Guest room, you can put them in the guest room. We won't be using it anyway." Allison muttered. 

She caught Klaus and Victoria glance at each other.

Klaus lowered the boxes he was 'holding' "Ally… I'm sure they'll show up."

Allison sighed, nodding "Doesn't mean they're staying here though, right?" She offered, trying to keep light of the situation. Considering the situation was that none of their other siblings had made any indication that they would be coming, it was hard.

"Well they can't, because the guest room is full of gifts." Victoria added, clearly trying to keep the joke up.

Allison snorted "I'm being ridiculous, wedding brain I think."

"Yeah, definitely wedding brain. You’re lucky we love you, I guess.” Klaus said, as he began lining the boxes, full of decoration supplies, against the walls.

"Yeah, I am.” She agreed. “Do you need me to do anything?" Allison asked, as Victoria started talking to the caterers, and Klaus sent the gift boxes into the guest room, lining the walls with the boxes for decoration. 

"The flowers will be here a few days before the wedding, and Victoria and I will be at the reception hall at four-thirty to begin setting up."

"Shouldn't take long with David Blaine over there." Victoria muttered.

"I'm not arguing with you because it's true." Klaus said, “But no, I think we’re ok for now.” He said, looking at Victoria who just got off the phone.

"Caterers are coming at five-thirty as well." Victoria confirmed, “But yeah, just relax. Everything is on track.” She agreed.

Allison felt relieved, because that meant she didn’t have to worry. Except she wanted to worry, she wanted to be able to do something to fix the anxiety she was feeling, and she couldn’t. 

“I… cannot relax.”

Klaus lolled his head back to look at Allison. “What about like… a bachelorette party? Isn’t that supposed to help you relax?”

Victoria sprung up from her spot on the floor. “Oh! Yes, yes we need to do that!”

“I’ll call Gemma and Amelia.” Klaus said, pulling himself off the couch.

“Get Rita and Del too.” Victoria said, a couple of other bridesmaids that Allison was friends with, though not as close. 

“I’ll skip out on the partying, I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to come with.” Klaus said as the phone rang.

Allison frowned “We don’t have to go partying.”

Klaus waved her off, and she knew he wasn’t going to take no for an answer, so she accepted the situation. “I already have plans for you anyway, don’t worry about it.”

Allison had no idea what that meant, and she didn’t have time to think about it as Victoria tugged on her arm so they could get ready to go out.

It wasn’t long before the other girls arrived, dressed in clothes obviously meant for clubbing.

“Uh, going somewhere.” Patrick asked as he watched the parade of women leave their house. 

“Surprise bachelorette party.” Allison said apologetically.

“Ah, well have fun. I’ll probably be going out later this week, I think my cousins are planning something.” He said, rolling his eyes. 

“Good luck with all of that then.” She said, giving him a chaste kiss before getting dragged off.

  
  



	28. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Wedding Part 1-ish?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm tentatively ending this part of the fic at chapter 30. I may end up having more to write for this part, it depends. The next part, I believe, will be non-chaptered, and I may have two of those, depending on how I end up writing the second one. And then there should be one more chaptered fic after that, if my 'calculations' are correct. 
> 
> Outlining it like this is depressing as heck, but I could still be writing this in November or December if I play it right, so we'll see?
> 
> Then I'll have to rewatch S2 to get some new ideas, or at least look through some of my notes, especially my first, really crappy series, where I just threw a bunch of vague headcanons together, I feel like those can all be expanded upon too, so I'll see what happens.
> 
> Maybe I'll attempt to actually write Love on Loan, because I flipping love the whole concept, or maybe I'll finally start that Animal crossing Flick/C.J. fanfic I semi-joked with my friend about. (And isn't that how all my ships go, I joke about them being together, and then I end up wishing they were... But C.J. and Flick ARE dating, if not husbands, you can't tell me otherwise).
> 
> It'll still be awhile before this series is finished though, but I still want to say thank you for everyone who's been reading this and commenting, it's really cool of all of you, and I really appreciate it <3.

Klaus ended up taking Allison out to dinner, as a mini not-quite bachelorette party. They dressed in elegant clothing that were warranted in an expensive restaurant. And the one Klaus chose was a really gaudy one, one that was excessive in its decor, bright and loud, just in the way it was decorated. It took quite a while for Klaus to pick a good time to come, since it was often very busy.

"I'm wearing Valentino in a McDonalds." Allison said, but since she was clutching her bag of food Klaus counted it as a win. 

He had led them to a table far enough away from the play pit so they could hear themselves over the shouting kids. "I'm sorry, I forgot to confirm my reservation, or I accidentally canceled it because I confused it for a caterer. I’m sorry." Klaus said, biting into his Big Mac. "On the plus side this will be significantly more awkward than your wedding, so…” 

  
  


Allison snorted into her chicken nuggets. “Ok, sure. I won’t be having weird moms staring at us at my wedding.” Allison pointed out, vaguely motioning to a woman about their age doing just that.

Klaus shrugged “You don’t know, you haven’t met everyone in Patrick’s family.” Klaus said. He looked over the woman again who was still staring at them. "She’s just jealous of our clear sophistication, of which she lacks judging by the way she keeps staring." Klaus, sticking his nose up in the air.

“We’re also staring at her.” Allison pointed out. “She probably just wants an autograph.” She said, giving the woman a polite wave.

The woman’s face lit up and practically skipped over to them. “I’m such a huge fan of you and your movies.” The woman said, practically fawning over Allison. Allison happily autographed the woman’s shirt, and the two of them were able to finish their meal in peace and relative quiet. 

The next day Klaus and Victoria spent the entire day finishing putting centerpieces together. Klaus did not like Victoria, and she did not like him, but Klaus was pretty sure they were now forever bound to each other by decorative stones and candles. 

They had gotten a lot of these menial tasks done over the last couple of weeks, but the flowers only arrived the other day, and neither of them wanted to spend the wedding day putting flowers into vases, even with Klaus' powers, especially since Klaus found it was difficult for him to do more than three or four vases at a time without getting rocks and flowers everywhere.

It took them the better part of an hour to gather them all back up after that debacle. 

The actual day of the wedding was stressful. Very stressful. Klaus was up incredibly early, luckily years of having to be up at the crack of dawn to do makeup meant he was used to it. 

Didn’t mean he wasn’t tired and that he wanted to just spend the day wearing the sweater and leggings, instead of changing into his suit. 

He let out a huge yawn, and downed the last of his coffee while he tied balloons to chairs. He didn’t know why there would be balloons, but something something aesthetic. Klaus never wanted to hear that word again for the rest of his life.

"Hey, did any of them ever get back to you?" Victoria asked, flashing cards in Klaus' direction. 

They were name cards for their siblings. He had tried to contact them a few times, but none of them responded. It really bothered him, and he was really holding out hope they would show up.

He shook his head "I don't want to put them out and have three empty seats." Klaus admitted. “I hope they’re showing up, but if they don’t I don’t want it to be obvious.”

Victoria shrugged, tossing the name cards in the garbage. Klaus winced at that, but if someone did show up they would still have  _ a _ seat, even if it wasn't a front seat. "Perfect… Ok, so Patrick's grumpy cousin is usher so he'll be seating everyone." She added, pulling her hair up and out of her face.

"Small mercies."

"We're getting to reception early to finish setting up. I think we're done here." Victoria added, looking around. Klaus was  _ really _ thankful for that. It meant they could shower before getting into makeup, and Klaus felt kind of gross after spending hours helping set up.

"Photographers are coming an hour before the ceremony to take some photos before the ceremony, but they're setting up their own… set up." Klaus said, waving his hand vaguely. 

"Eloquently put." Ben supplied.

Victoria nodded "Great, for an idiot you're pretty well organized."

Klaus fluttered his eyelashes "I'm  _ touched _ . Especially since Allison could have hired people for this."

Victoria had begun walking away but stopped suddenly. "Holy shit, she  _ could _ have!"

"We'll kill her later, I have put way too much work into this to not have a wedding." Klaus said.

"If we kill her we can just force two other people to get married." 

Klaus looked at Victoria.

He was  _ seriously  _ considering it. "Maybe."

Victoria led the makeup artist into the room they were using as a studio as Klaus helped get Allison and the bridesmaids corralled into the makeup room. Then, finally, Klaus washed up, he and Victoria were the last, along with Allison, to get their makeup done, and Allison’s took a bit longer. 

“Oh, wow you look amazing.” Gemma said, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

Klaus could feel himself tearing up just a bit, and pulled Allison into a hug. “How are you feeling?”

“A little nervous, but so excited.” She said, squeezing his hands tightly “Thank you so much for helping with everything.” Allison said.

Victoria came back in, pulling Allison into her own hug, “Amazing.” She said.

Klaus took a deep breath as everyone lined up for the processional. He felt oddly nervous, a little lightheaded, though that could be because he was running almost entirely on coffee at the moment. He tried to take a peek into the room, but he couldn’t get a good look at any of the guests. 

Klaus got into line next to Victoria, in front of Allison, and then the music started.


	29. Chapter 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Wedding Part 2!
> 
> Or the one where I pretend to know how weddings work without Google.

Allison stood in line behind Klaus and Victoria, gripping her bouquet tightly as the music began. As soon as it did all Allison could focus on was the thudding of her heart. Klaus reached his hand back to her and she clutched it tightly, trying to ground herself. Her heart was thudding rapidly, and her body was just buzzing with anticipation.

She was thankful Klaus didn't let go of her hand until they reached the door. Each step seemed to take an eternity, just to get there. Her hand grew cold as Klaus let go, and she suddenly felt like she was floating as she walled onto the aisle. 

She squared her shoulders and tilted her head up. 

Each footstep echoed her heartbeat. A click of her heels, the thudding of her heart synchronized the entire time it took her to reach the altar.

Then her eyes landed on Patrick, and even if he'd seen her in varying states of wearing her bridal gown, this was the first time he saw the entire outfit, with her in it, and she loved how stunned he looked.

Frankly the feeling was mutual, he looked beautiful in his tux.

Then he smiled at her, and she felt herself smile back, and her anxiety faded. Her focus narrowed down to her soon to be husband. Their guests, her friends who were walking down the aisle, everything other than Patrick faded away. The walk down the aisle suddenly felt even longer, like she was never going to reach the altar.

But she did, with Patrick reaching his hand out to grasp hers. It was warm and comforting, and she felt her heartbeat easing into a steady rhythm as the officiate began reading out their vows. 

Her grip on Patrick's hand tightened with each word, the officiate said. She couldn't be happier to be standing here with Patrick in front of her. Her eyes welled up as Patrick said 'I do', and the tears flowed freely as she repeated the phrase.

She could hear clapping as Patrick rather dramatically dipped her into a kiss. She couldn't help but giggle into it, kissing him back soundly.

There was clapping from all the guests as they went to sign the wedding certificate. They took pictures afterwards, Allison with just her bridal party, and Allison with Patrick. She also convinced Klaus to take a last minute, rather goofy picture, just before he and Victoria had to go set up the reception. 

"There'll be more picture opportunities there, anyway." Allison said, hugging both of them tightly.

She stood for a few more photos with her  _ husband _ before heading to reception.

She was annoyed by some of the paparazzi she could see lingering, but they were suddenly pushed back, and judging by the shocked look on their faces, she was quite sure it was Klaus. 

She kind of wondered if there would suddenly be claims about force fields in a terrible conspiracy magazine.

When they got inside, she was amazed, honestly. Not only by how quickly Victoria and Klaus, as well as the delivery guys, were getting everything set up, but by how beautiful it looked. The venue was a large, sprawling place with plenty of room to mingle, dance, and generally have a good time, as well as a beautiful garden outside for quiet conversation.

The cake came, a huge seven tier cake, elegant and beautiful in its simplicity, white with delicate detailing, and a few red rose accents. It was front and center where everyone can gather around it after the meal. 

Allison and Patrick sat in the middle of their table, as their respective parties sat on either side of them. Her eyes gazed over the tables, too excited to focus on any one group. She felt Klaus shift next to her, and she could tell he was listening to something Ben was saying. She felt his hand squeeze her wrist before he stood up to begin the speeches. Allison was almost positive Klaus was going to crack bad jokes, because he almost outright admitted he would.

  
  


"Allison, you've been my best friend for a very long time. We've been through so much together, and I really can't imagine what my life would be like if you and I didn't move out here together. I am just so happy that you've gotten to this point in your life, and that I could be a part of it. Congratulations you two." Klaus said, lifting his glass to her. 

She should have known better, really.

  
  


"Allison and I met at a cast party many years ago, and she's been my best friend ever since. I'm not very good at this, but I am so happy for you guys, and I love you." Victoria said.

Patrick's brother was a bit more verbose, going on a five minute long speech, starting from Patrick's childhood, and ending with how happy he was that Patrick found Allison. 

As the speeches came to an end the food came, out she felt Klaus shift again to talk to Ben. She could feel him tense up slightly. 

"Are you ok?" Allison whispered. She knew how hard he'd been working, and she was worried about him.

It was a dry bar, only serving non-alcoholic drinks and cocktails. It was something she and had Klaus discussed, knowing that social settings like this made it harder for him to resist drinking, especially with the stress helping with the wedding would cause. He was at a lower risk of potentially relapsing just by there being no alcohol here, but that didn't mean she couldn't worry about his stress levels.

Klaus turned to look at her, smiling. "I'm fine, I had Ben do reconnaissance." Klaus said, squeezing her hand, but his eyes were looking through the crowd. Allison had no idea what Klaus meant by that, but then she followed where his gaze stopped amongst the crowd of guests.

Sitting in the very far back at a table with some of Patrick's coworkers, was a broody looking man wearing tactical gear.

"Holy shit." Allison hissed, gently nudging Klaus as she squinted her eyes to get a better look at him, difficult as it was from the distance. She felt a swell of emotion, because she really hadn't held out hope that any of them would show up at all. But really, the way he held himself it was pretty obvious as to exactly who it was.

Klaus confirmed it, something akin to relief in his voice. "Diego."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eeeeey one of them showed up! Who knew! (It was me, I knew).


	30. Chapter 30

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Wedding Part 3.

"I can't believe he showed up." Ben said, eyeing Diego.

Klaus was  _ stunned _ . He hadn't returned any of Klaus' phone calls, and he hadn't responded to the invites. In the past Klaus would have made the assumption Diego was going to show up anyway, Diego was just like that sometimes, but it had been  _ years _ , and any past attempts at reconnecting were met with silence long before this wedding and so Klaus didn't know what to think.

"You'll have to get him, as soon as I leave this table I'm going to be swamped." Allison whispered. Klaus nodded, looking at Ben. Then she added "I bet he'll say he only came for free food."

Klaus snorted "Probably."

Dinner ended quickly, and Patrick and Allison stood to cut the cake. Klaus was silently grateful they didn't do the obnoxious cake face shoving thing. There was also a table full of desserts and candies that the kids flocked to once everyone got a slice of cake, and from where Klaus took two cupcakes to put on top of his slice of cake.

"He's leaving." Ben said, running towards Klaus.

"What an asshole." He said with a mouthful of frosting.

He caught Allison's eye, motioning vaguely to the handful of guests that were leaving early, and followed the directions Ben gave him. He flew into the air to gain a lead, and skidded to a halt in front of Diego. 

Diego gracelessly and blindly bumping into him "Watch it, asshole."

"You're the one who can't even be bothered to say hello to Allison before leaving."

Diego looked up, surprised to see it was Klaus and not some random stranger. "I'm only here for the food." He said, stuffing his hands in his pockets. 

"Yeah, sure you came all the way to California for free wedding food."

Diego shrugged "Yeah, I  _ did _ ."

"Uh-huh. You know if you answered any of my calls your plane ride would have been compensated for, right?" Klaus asked, crossing his arms. 

He saw Diego's jaw tick, which Klaus found incredibly satisfying. "I drove."

"Holy shit." Klaus muttered. "Look, why not come back in, at least meet Patrick if you don't want to see Allison."

"I didn't want to see you." And ok, that stung. Diego shrugged "The guy seems like an asshole."

Klaus huffed, lolling his head back. "He's nice, and Allison really wants to see you, and  _ I  _ want you to be here… Because you're my brother and I  _ love _ you." Klaus said, pitching his voice up, letting it waver slightly. 

Diego was unamused, and so was Ben, so Klaus chalked it up to being surrounded by sticks in the mud. "Yeah, ok. Look, I have to drive back so I can, you know, protect our city."

Klaus was surprised by that. "Wait, you… moved back in with dad?" Diego was the first to leave, and without  _ certain other siblings _ , even though they had  _ planned _ to leave together.

"What? No, I'm… a police officer." Diego said, looking at the ground. 

Klaus was a little stunned. "Woah, really? That's… Perfect for you, really." Klaus said, rocking on his heels.

Diego faltered "Well… I'm working in criminal incarceration…"

Klaus glanced at Ben "That's still really cool." Klaus offered, not sure what that meant at  _ all _ but still trying to be supportive.

Diego snarled "Fine,  _ fine _ , I… got kicked out, it's not funny!" 

"What? I'm not making fun of you." Klaus said, frowning. "I'm sorry-"

"Look, I don't want your fucking pity-"

"Hey, asshole.” Klaus said, snapping in Diego’s face. “I'm  _ trying _ to be nice here. Quit fighting at me! It's  _ me _ , ok. Not dad, not Luther,  _ me _ ." 

Diego's face twitched, and really it was quite entertaining to watch as Diego tried to figure out what he wanted to feel.

"You made fun of me plenty, I seem to remember you saying my wanting to help people and being a cop was a pipe dream-"

"I-"

"And then you laughed because the word ‘pipe’ reminded you of drugs." Diego said, emphasising his point by jabbing Klaus in the chest.

Klaus wilted a bit. “I’m really sorry.” 

"Still pissed." 

Klaus huffed, this was much easier with Allison. "I've been… mostly sober for a long time, I'm not…. like that anymore." Klaus said. "I  _ am _ sorry. That was awful of me."

"Not to mention that shit about Ben-"

Klais flailed a bit. "Don't… don't start with that. I don't want to fight with you." he said, practically pleading. He knew Diego didn't want to believe Klaus about Ben, and Klaus  _ got _ it, he did, but he didn't want to talk about it, because he knew Diego would deny it. Klaus just didn’t want to go down that road. Not right now.

Diego nodded, and Klaus felt himself relax. "I did come back for you, you know…” 

“Wait… you did? But we… fought, and then you left…”

“Took me a few weeks to find a place, but you were already gone." He said.

Klaus chewed on his lower lip, rushing to Diego and pulling him into a hug. Diego returned it. 

Well, actually he pushed Klaus off immediately, but the fact that he didn't flip him onto his back was the  _ real _ testament of love here. "Fucking asshole, you'll ruin your stupid suit." Diego said, brushing at his sleeves.

"It's fine, I'm going to repurpose it anyway." Klaus said, laughing wetly. "Thought you hated me." He admitted, rubbing at his chest.

"Oh, I do hate you. Wasn’t going to leave you alone with Luther and dad, for fucks sake.”

  
  


"Well, as long as I'm less hated than those two…"

Diego nodded, glancing around. "Luther and Vanya didn’t come?” 

"I haven’t seen them… Have you, before?” Klaus asked. “We couldn’t get into contact with them at all.”

“Luther’s still with dad.” Diego said, shrugging.

The poor bastard. 

"And Vanya… I’ve seen her around, but we haven’t like… hung out or anything. She seems fine from what I can tell.” He said. “Anyway, I do have to drive back home, so… Tell Allison her wedding was ok.” Diego said, clapping Klaus on the back.

"Got it, you loved it, and you cried." Klaus said, as Diego got into his car.

Diego flipped him off as he started the car.

“Hey.” 

Diego rolled down the window. “What?”

“Seriously, thanks for coming, it means a lot to the both of us.” Klaus said, leaning into the window.

Diego rolled his eyes. “Yeah, whatever. See you in another eight years, I guess.”

“Or you could just not be an asshole.” Klaus called as Diego drove away.

“That went… mostly well.” Ben said “Still thinks you can’t see me.”

Klaus groaned “Yeah, well maybe Allison can convince him the next time we see them.” He was willing to shrug it off, partially because he got it. Klaus hadn’t wanted to see Ben either for the longest time, he wasn’t going to beat Diego up over it. 

He floated back to the party, glad he didn’t miss Allison’s first dance. He clapped politely with everyone else as she and Patrick danced elegantly across the floor, Allison wearing the simpler, shorter dress she’d bought for the reception. 

Allison pulled Klaus into a dance as the music sped up into proper, fun, dance music. “Where is he?”

“He had to get back home, he fucking drove here, the moron.” Klaus said, rolling his eyes.

Allison smiled at him, jokingly spinning him out. “I’m assuming the conversation went well?”

“Well enough. He’s still a douche, though. He  _ loved _ the wedding, sobbed, said so himself.” 

“I doubt he said any of that, but I’m glad he didn’t hate it.” She said, turning around as Patrick tapped her on the shoulder.

Klaus let her go and enjoyed the rest of the reception, bouncing between guests and hanging out with Allison and her friends.

As the night wound down to an end, Klaus, Victoria, and the bridesmaids helped Allison and Patrick pack up for their plane ride the next day. 

On his way back from the airport he picked up his car phone and called Julian. Klaus was glad he wasn’t busy at the moment, he had felt bad he couldn’t make it to the wedding due to scheduling conflicts, and confusion about no longer being Klaus’ plus one, and Klaus had promised he would tell him about it to make up for it.

Klaus knew he would spend the next few days exhausted, but he felt good. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so we come to an end on this part of the story. I've been working on the next part on and off for a while, but it's not complete yet. I'll be gathering my thoughts a bit, and working on the series. I won't give a definitive timeline, but I feel like probably sometime this week, I'll have the next part out. If not, early next week maybe. 
> 
> Thank you again so much for reading this <3.


End file.
